A recent survey by video conferencing platform Zoom has revealed that 83% of employees prefer hybrid work models, citing increased productivity in these flexible arrangements.
The findings, part of the “Navigating the Future of Work: Global Perspectives on Hybrid Models and Technology” survey, were released at Zoom’s EX Summit 2024 in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
The survey gathered insights from over 600 IT and C-suite leaders and nearly 1,900 knowledge workers globally, including 604 respondents from APAC. It was carried out in collaboration with Reworked INSIGHTS.
The preference for hybrid work settings is clear, with the majority of employees indicating that they are more productive when working in hybrid or remote environments than in traditional office settings. This trend has been embraced by organisations across APAC, where 84% have adopted either hybrid (58%) or remote (26%) work models.
Productivity remains a key consideration for APAC business leaders, with 87% identifying it as the primary factor in determining the optimal work model for their organisations. This focus on productivity is slightly higher in APAC compared to other regions, with 86% in North America and 81% in Western Europe prioritising productivity in their work model decisions.
Zoom Asia Pacific head Ricky Kapur said: “Workplace flexibility is not only becoming increasingly commonplace in the APAC region, but more diverse in itself — ranging from flextime to location, role, and even rotation-based models.
“Leaders today are faced with a new challenge of finding the best-fit hybrid model while keeping up with the evolving expectations of a multi-generational workforce and the impact of rapidly advancing technologies like AI.”
Despite the clear preference for hybrid work, many APAC companies continue to experiment with different hybrid models. Scheduled hybrid models (27%) and flextime hybrid models (19%) are the most common, with an additional 13% of organisations exploring hybrid structures based on roles, locations, and outcomes.
Over the past two years, 97% of APAC leaders have made their workplaces more flexible in response to these preferences.
However, the shift to hybrid work is not without challenges. The survey found that 60% of APAC leaders reported a decline in employee engagement associated with hybrid work models.
Additionally, 77% of leaders in the region believe that their organisations are likely to change their workplace models within the next two years to address these challenges.
Generative AI has become an important tool in supporting hybrid work productivity. The survey highlighted that APAC organisations are leading in the adoption of meeting transcripts, with a 53% usage rate, compared to 40% in the US and 38% in Western Europe.
Additionally, 59% of APAC organisations use chatbots, a slightly higher adoption rate than in the US (52%) and comparable to Western Europe (58%). A significant 85% of APAC leaders believe that generative AI has made their workforce more productive, while 69% of employees in the region agree that AI has made their jobs easier. However, 81% of employees in APAC firms believe there is still room for improvement in the tools and technology available for remote work.
