Crafted by Culture Amp
Since releasing our Prepare for returning to the workplace survey in May, we’ve had over 270 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 almost 111,000 individual responses, and the data covers all Prepare for returning to the workplace surveys launched until mid-July
~1.4m
Questions answered
~300
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
21%
Information Technology and Services
7%
Investment Management
4%
Non-Profit Organization Management
4%
Commercial Real Estate
3%
Apparel & Fashion
3%
Investment Banking
3%
Wholesale
3%
Insurance
3%
Construction
2%
Food & Beverages
2%
Legal Services
2%
North America
51%
Europe
24%
Oceania
16%
Asia
5%
MEA
2%
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 | 64% |
I am confident that my transition back to the workplace will be straightforward | 55% |
I am looking forward to returning to the workplace | 48% |
I will feel safe being in the workplace when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 38% |
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.
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 able to transition back to the workplace with minimal disruption to my usual routine/personal life | 56% favorable Support |
2 I am feeling energized about returning to the workplace | 46% favorable Wellbeing |
3 I would feel safe using [Company]'s workplace facilities (e.g. gym, cafeteria, social areas) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 42% favorable Safety Measures |
4 I would feel comfortable traveling for work related purposes (e.g. attending offsite meetings) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 34% favorable Travel |
5 I am able to manage any caring responsibilities while transitioning back to work (e.g. child care, looking after dependents) | 65% favorable Support |
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 believe our [team/department] would benefit from some degree of remote working in the future | 86% favorable Remote Working |
3 I believe I can do my work as effectively remote as in the workplace | 85% favorable Remote Working |
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 | 35% favorable Travel |
2 I would feel safe traveling to the workplace when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 38% favorable Travel |
3 I would feel safe using [Company]'s workplace facilities (e.g. gym, cafeteria, social areas) when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted | 42% 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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