New research confirms what workers want. 

 

New research released by OfficeMax New Zealand reveals that company values are the new currency when it comes to employee retention in a post-covid economy. 

 

The research findings come as thousands of office workers finally head back into their workplace, many for the first time since August last year.  

 

While salary still tops the priority list for employees, the OfficeMax State of the Workplace research reveals that traditionally ‘softer’ attributes such as purpose, culture, leadership and business integrity prove critically important to employee engagement, alongside a raft of office must-haves with clear ties to pandemic work-life.  

 

The survey of more than 1000 office workers found a high majority are focused on the societal impact of an organisation, with two thirds (67 per cent) stating they will only work for a company that has a positive impact on society – a striking figure against a backdrop of labour shortages and “the great resignation”. 

 

But words aren’t enough. Employees are also evaluating how companies follow through with their publicly stated values, with more than a third (35 per cent) of under 34-year-olds claiming they would leave their job if their employer contradicted its values or mission.

 

When asked about the one thing their employer could do to improve the physical workplace, the findings reflect the months that workers have just spent at home.

 

Top-notch technology set ups (11 per cent), ergonomic workstations (eight per cent) and improved cleanliness (eight per cent) are deemed a priority, alongside quiet spaces for focus (seven per cent) all made the top four.

 

For those who’ve been working at home, having a clear separation between work and home-life (47 per cent), as well as being around people to spark ideas and be more creative (45 per cent), are the things they miss most about being in the office.

 

Employees aged 55 and over place higher importance on having clean spaces (58 per cent) and lunchrooms (51 per cent), while the younger age group (under 34) places importance on a modern office (22 per cent) and break-out areas away from desks (14%).

 

Kevin Obern, managing director at OfficeMax (pictured), said “Over the last few months, as businesses have been preparing to return to the workplace, we’ve seen a huge focus on areas like soundproofing, introducing quiet booths, and significant investments in technology and cafeteria enhancements.”

 

“Businesses seem to understand that after spending the better part of a year working from home, employees now expect some of those comforts – like high-quality coffee, the ability to concentrate outside of an open-plan environment and ultra-clean workspaces – in the office. These are very obvious links to our time in lockdown.

 

“That’s encouraging but what we’re seeing from this research is that expectations go much deeper than that now. It’s clear that what’s important to workers in an employer has changed over the past couple of years: business values, integrity and doing good matter as much as a competitive remuneration and workplace perks – that’s something all business leaders need to hear and a message we’ll be sharing with our customers and taking on board ourselves,” he said.