The Comet 2023 study by YouGov confirms the office's return as a place of professional socialising: 43% of French employees come in first of all to meet up.
In its 2023 study on hybrid work carried out by YouGov, Comet confirms a post-Covid trend: the office is becoming the place for professional socialising once again. 43% of the French employees surveyed say they go there first and foremost to meet their colleagues, and 62% now recognise the usefulness of meetings, whereas in July 2022, 86% were dealing with pointless meetings.
The study also exposes the damaging effects of remote work: 39% of French, 37% of Belgian and up to nearly 50% of Spanish respondents say that working alone and remotely can harm their personal and professional fulfilment. It therefore sets out a useful roadmap for HR directors and managers on the improvements to bring to the way work is organised today.
Remote work has not fully won employees over
A varied and contrasting picture emerges from the study: asked about their preference, 33% of French workers are in favour of remote work while 31% would rather avoid it. The adoption of hybrid work is therefore far from smooth in France and in Europe, and Comet's 2023 study highlights several key areas of improvement for companies looking to retain their people. Among the negative effects of remote work, 24% of French respondents point to a lack of information sharing between colleagues and 16% note a heavier workload, proof that the organisation of hybrid work still needs work.
Meetings are useful again, provided they are rethought
One positive finding from the study: the French habit of meeting for the sake of meeting appears to be losing ground. The professionalisation of how these shared moments are organised may explain the shift, alongside a likely reduction in the time devoted to meetings.
Whereas in July 2022 (wave 1 of the study) 86% of respondents said they were dealing with meetings that were not always useful, the reality in 2023 is far less bleak. A majority of French (62%), Spanish (close to 80%) and Belgian (63%) respondents now acknowledge the usefulness of meetings in a professional setting. That does not mean they like them as they currently are: as in July 2022 (73%), close to 71%, across all nationalities, still believe their company should invest in improving these time-consuming and poorly used moments.
The office must be rethought for quality of life at work
Another lesson from the study lies in what employees expect from this changing space. While 38% of the French employees surveyed say they come in for more interaction with their colleagues, 34% also point out that they have better equipment there than at home. This proves that professional facilities, from desks to meeting rooms and informal or catering areas, remain important ingredients of the experience. The difficulties facing the office real estate sector back up that diagnosis: workspaces carry a great many expectations and therefore deserve to be adapted and rethought to regain their appeal. In doing so they will reconnect with a primary professional need, that of collaborating in the best possible conditions.
Being able to meet colleagues, to maintain relationships and to build new ones are the three main reasons why French, Belgian and Spanish employees come in to work. At a time when more and more companies are moving towards a hybrid organisation, that finding is worth taking seriously: less busy it may be, but the office remains the primary breeding ground for social and collaborative ties.
Methodology note: the survey was carried out among 1,005 people representative of the French working population aged 18 and over. It was conducted online, on the YouGov France proprietary panel, from 4 to 10 July 2023.
