Crafted by Culture Amp
Since releasing our Prepare for returning to the workplace survey in May, we’ve had almost 100 organizations globally use this template to help plan an effective transition back to the workplace. This means we have sufficient data to create a full benchmark, which requires a minimum of 20 companies and 20,000 responses. The insights we share below are based on the first 32,000 individual responses, and the data will be reviewed again once more surveys have been launched.
~435k
Questions answered
~95
Organizations
The data meet our criteria as being robust and reliable; unlikely to substantially change over time; and representative of the wider industry. Read more about the methodology.
Data provided by Culture Amp
Computer Software
22%
Information Technology and Services
6%
Apparel & Fashion
5%
Food & Beverages
5%
Insurance
5%
Investment Management
5%
Non-Profit Organization Management
5%
Wholesale
5%
Internet
3%
Gambling & Casinos
3%
Marketing and Advertising
3%
Pharmaceuticals
3%
North America
50%
Oceania
19%
Asia
15%
Europe
13%
MEA
1%
South America
1%
Return Readiness is defined using these 4 questions that capture how safe employees feel and how ready they are to return to the workplace.
I am confident I can make an effective transition back to the workplace | 66% |
I am confident that my transition back to the workplace will be straightforward | 56% |
I am looking forward to returning to the workplace | 51% |
I will feel safe being in the workplace when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 34% |
We’ve found that overall Return Readiness is modest at 52%, though the index score is being heavily skewed by the more favorable responses to the item ‘I am confident I can make an effective transition back to the workplace. Whilst we don’t yet have sufficient data to benchmark the Return Readiness index by region, in EMEA we have noted that the outcome measure sits around 10 points lower than the global average (typically 30-40% favorability).
We are seeing good levels of participation for the return to work surveys, with the median participation rate at 84%. This is slightly higher than the participation rates we’ve seen for COVID-19 response surveys (78%) and is more in line with the participation we usually see for engagement surveys. Given this survey is so intrinsically linked to the experience of the employee and their world of work, it’s likely that this has driven stronger participation rates.
While many of the Culture Amp survey templates focus on the organization (i.e. evaluating what the organization has done) the Return to the workplace questions focus on the individual and their own feelings and experiences. Therefore, on some items, we are seeing lower favorability scores than we would typically see in engagement surveys.
The data tells us that Support is an important feature in driving overall Return Readiness, both in terms of being able to transition with minimal disruption and being able to manage caring responsibilities. Feeling safe to travel, as well as using workplace facilities are also heavily impacting employee readiness to return.
1 I am feeling energized about returning to the workplace | 49% favorable Wellbeing |
2 I am able to transition back to the workplace with minimal disruption to my usual routine/personal life | 59% favorable Support |
3 I would feel safe using [Company]'s workplace facilities (e.g. gym, cafeteria, social areas) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 38% favorable Safety Measures |
4 I am able to manage any caring responsibilities while transitioning back to work (e.g. child care, looking after dependents) | 66% favorable Support |
5 I would feel comfortable traveling for work related purposes (e.g. attending offsite meetings) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 31% favorable Travel |
People answering Prepare for Returning to the Workplace 2020 were most favorable about the following areas:
The data shows that items around Remote Working are the most favorable, in particular having the resources to continue working from home if needed. Given that for many organizations the COVID-19 pandemic is the first time employees have worked remotely, this data would suggest that there is an appetite for it to continue and this experience will shape what the future of work looks like for many organizations.
1 I have the resources/equipment to continue working remote should I need to | 88% favorable Remote Working |
2 I feel confident that I would receive support from coworkers if I needed it | 85% favorable Support |
3 I believe I will be treated fairly by my coworkers as I transition back to the workplace | 85% favorable Wellbeing |
People answering Prepare for Returning to the Workplace 2020 were least favorable about the following areas:
The data shows that items around travel and safety are the least favorable. Less than 1 in 3 would feel comfortable travelling for work and just a third would feel safe being in the office when restrictions are lifted
1 I would feel comfortable traveling for work related purposes (e.g. attending offsite meetings) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 31% favorable Travel |
2 I would feel safe traveling to the workplace when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 37% favorable Travel |
3 I would feel safe using [Company]'s workplace facilities (e.g. gym, cafeteria, social areas) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 38% favorable Safety Measures |
Insights data provided by Culture Amp. For a complete overview of 2020 Insights (Culture Amp Platform benchmarks) visit the Culture Amp Academy.
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