51% of Philippine workers back onsite – survey

MANILA, Philippines — As the country continues to recover from the pandemic, more companies are now adopting on-site work arrangements, according to human resource professionals surveyed by cloud-based HR platform Sprout Solutions.

Based on results of the State of the HR Report 2023, 51 percent of HR respondents reported that their companies implemented an on-site working policy.

“As pandemic restrictions continue to ease and vaccination rates rise, organizations are returning to their pre-pandemic work setups,” Sprout Solutions said.

This shift signifies that simply providing a hybrid work option is not enough, the report said.

“Organizations need to foster a work environment that retains talent and keeps employees engaged, regardless of their work location,” Sprout Solutions said.

Meanwhile, results of the survey also showed that 33.4 percent of HR professionals felt uncertain about transitioning to an on-site arrangement, suggesting less resistance to working face-to-face in a physical office than the year before.

“The lack of resistance to returning on-site may arise from recognizing the advantages of in-person work, including better communication and collaboration, improved work-life balance, and stronger company culture and a sense of belongingness,” the report said.

Despite 50.5 percent of HR professionals foreseeing hybrid work as the future, the report said the neutral responses toward on-site work suggest a lack of immediate urgency to adopt a hybrid model.

“This hesitation may stem from the perceived advantages and benefits associated with on-site work,” it said.

When asked about top HR focus areas, respondents identified growth opportunities, recruitment, and learning and development as the top priorities for HR teams.

The report explained that growth opportunities describe the chance of individuals advancing in their career, acquiring new responsibilities, or achieving a higher position within an organization.

In contrast, learning and development is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills and competencies through training and education for personal and professional growth.

HR respondents identified retention as the most significant challenge, persisting as the top pain point this year and last year.

“As retention remains the biggest pain point, HR teams must focus on engagement and retention strategies to better retain their people,” Sprout Solutions said.

Sprout’s State of HR Report is an annual survey that explores key HR trends and insights in the Philippines.

Results of the report were derived from an extensive online survey conducted among over 400 HR professionals and more than 2,200 employees in various industries and companies in the Philippines.

The findings are supplemented by actual anonymized data related to salary benchmark, attendance and attrition.

According to Sprout, the study aims to guide organizations on how to optimize their work environment and enhance the workplace experience for digital transformation and optimum performance.