The spanish workerslike those of the rest of the countries, are happier and more productive if their company has adopted and enjoys the hybrid model. This is reflected in the study Cisco Hybrid Work 2022which has been carried out among workers from different countries, and which, in addition to the effects that hybrid work causes in company employees, has also analyzed the challenges that organizations have to face in order to make their culture more inclusive, as well as to improve the experience of its workers.
The study, presented by Michel Rodríguez, Collaboration Director of Cisco Spain, reflects that three out of four Spaniards who have participated in the survey carried out for the preparation of the report believe that they can carry out their tasks with the same success remotely and in the office. And 58% say that hybrid work has improved both productivity and quality of work.
Meanwhile, globally, 76% of workers surveyed say they can fully perform their work remotely, and 60% see an improvement in work quality and productivity rates.
Cisco’s report reviews the impact hybrid working has had on five categories of well-being: emotional, financial, mental, physical, and social. And 77% of Spanish workers, as well as 78% of workers from the rest of the world, say they have improved in all of them.
Regarding conciliation, 80% of those surveyed in Spain perceive that they have a better balance between their work and personal life with hybrid work, compared to 79% worldwide on average. In his opinion, flexible work schedules (62% of Spaniards and global average) and the reduction or elimination of travel times (57% in Spain compared to 53% globally) have contributed to this improvement.
Remote work has allowed 52% of Spanish workers to earn four hours or more for their private life, while in the rest of the world 64% of workers have earned it. 18% of Spaniards increase this figure to eight hours or more, which has also earned, on average, 26% of those surveyed worldwide.
50% of Spanish workers spent that time with family, friends and pets, compared to 45% globally. 68% of Spaniards indicate that teleworking has improved their family relationships, the same as indicated by 74% of the total number of respondents. Meanwhile, 45% have strengthened their relationships with friends, which has been done, on average, by 58% of the total number of respondents for the study.
In addition to improving relationships and saving time, telecommuting has also saved workers. This is what 74% of those surveyed in Spain have achieved, and 76% of workers around the world. On average, in Spain they have saved more than 7,000 dollars a year, compared to the 8,000 they have saved on average in the world. 90% have spent less on fuel and travel, and indicate it as their main source of savings, compared to 87% overall. 79% in Spain have spent less on food and entertainment, the same as 74% in the world.
84% of Spaniards believe that they can maintain said savings in the long term, the same as 86% of those in the rest of the world, and 70% of Spaniards, and 69% of workers in the world would take this into account when changing of work.
63% of Spaniards believe that teleworking improved their physical shape, compared to 68% in the world. Meanwhile, 70% of Spaniards do more exercise, which is also considered by 71% in the world. And 65% of Spaniards and 68% in the rest of the world believe that hybrid work has had a positive impact on their eating habits. 57% in Spain say that their stress level has dropped, and 20% are more relaxed and less pressured.
80% of Spanish workers and the rest of the world are committed to hybrid or only remote work, but only 17% of Spaniards believe that their company is very prepared for hybrid work, compared to 39% globally. In addition, 70% of Spaniards believe that having connectivity problems on a regular basis limits tasks when working remotely, which is also believed, on average, by 62% of workers around the world.
85% believe that network infrastructure is essential for an optimized remote work experience, almost the same percentage as in the rest of the world: 84%. But only 66% believe their company currently has the right network infrastructure, compared to 68% globally.
77% of Spaniards go to the cybersecurity as fundamental for hybrid work in Spain, and 64% indicate that their organization has the appropriate capacity and protocols to maintain a good level of security online. Only 60% of respondents in Spain believe that all employees in their company understand the technological and online risks of hybrid work, a percentage that increases slightly in the case of managers: respondents believe that 62% of managers understand them.
Only 40% believe in Spain that working remotely will make relationships with colleagues difficult, and 36% with the company. These are notably better percentages than the world average, which points to 59% and 57% respectively in these cases. In addition, 72% of those surveyed in Spain believe that their boss trusts that they will maintain productivity when they telecommute, but only 58% trust that their colleagues will do the same.
These data point to the need for a higher level of inclusivity in company culture. 74% of Spanish workers say that their company has to rethink both its mentality and its culture. Thus, Spaniards demand more flexibility in defining working hours in 55% of cases (60% in the world), while 60%, both in Spain and in other countries, highlight well-being and the balance between work and personal life as points to improve.
For this reason, Michel Rodriguez is convinced that «the hybrid work is here to stay. Both employees and companies recognize tangible benefits in key indicators, from improved well-being to increased productivity and performance. However, there are still some challenges to overcome, such as building a more inclusive culture, designing engagement strategies and adopting an adequate technological infrastructure.
