From desk bombing to chai breaks, here's why Indian professionals are heading back to office
3 min read 24 Mar 2023, 04:02 PM ISTAccording to the report, earlier employees used to feel obliged to be physically present in the office, but 78 percent of professionals interviewed said that they now do it by choice.
PremiumEven as hybrid work culture still continues in many companies, a LinkedIn report has revealed that 78 percent i.e. nearly 8 in 10 of Indian professionals choose to go to office for socialising and bonding with their colleagues.
The LinkedIn report was based on a research conducted by Censuswide with over 1,001 workers in India over the age of 18. The survey was conducted between 28 February and 6 March 2023.
According to the report, earlier employees used to feel obliged to be physically present in the office, but 78 percent of professionals interviewed said that they now do it by choice.
The report also found that workers are generally more receptive to going to the office, with 86 percent of the respondents said they feel positive about it compared to a year ago.
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During the survey, it was found that 'desk-bombing' became a new trend and has been embraced in the office as most workers liked it when a co-worker shows up unannounced at their desk to have a chat. Desk-bombing is a term that describes the act of dropping by your colleagues desk unannounced. The report showed that over 62 percent respondents in India see desk-bombing as a great way to have impromptu conversations. Sixty percent of GenZ workers in India have experienced desk-bombing and found it useful.
GenZ are those who are born in the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s.
When organisations reopened after the pandemic, questions were also raised on hybrid and whether lack of time in office and reduced visibility will have an impact on one's career, the report said. The report revealed that 63 percent of workers feel working remotely has no harmful impact on their careers. A similar proportion also believed that their chances of career growth could be reduced if they didn't go to office as much.
This could be a potential reason why 71 percent of respondents agree that they feel they have to overcompensate when working from home to show that they are serious about work, the report stated.
It further added that workers are more conscious about how they balance their time between work and life priorities, and managers are pioneering new ways to do this.
The report also revealed that 60 percent of workers have experienced 'loud leaving,' Loud leaving is when managers visibly leave the workplace, making it known that it's okay to shut down and stop working at a reasonable time.
Workers are also structuring their work week differently and it has altered their last day in the office, it noted.
An overwhelming 79 percent say Thursday is the new Friday, which may stem from the fact that Friday is the least popular day for workers to go into the office. Of those Indians who say that Thursday feels like the new Friday, 50 percent would spend more time with family and friends on Fridays, while 46 percent would try to focus on finishing the week's work quickly on Fridays and hop into an early weekend, the report said.
Workers are also choosing to head into the office to socialise, bond and be part of a team. When asked why they would show up at the office, the number one reason for respondents was social interactions (43 percent), followed by having more efficient face-to-face meetings with co-workers (42 percent) and building work relationships (41 percent) at a close second and third.
Over 72 percent of respondents surveyed also said they miss 'chai' break (tea break) bonding in the workplace where they could exchange banter with their colleagues about both their work and personal lives and have a laugh.
Speaking about the survey, LinkedIn India Managing Editor, Nirajita Banerjee said, “We're starting to see a shift in attitude when it comes to working in the office. While professionals in India favour the flexible work option, they are also finding immense value in heading back to office as it contributes towards boosting employee morale, improving collaboration and teamwork and identifying new opportunities. Informal conversations or chai breaks can also help boost long term career growth, when done with intention."
(With inputs from PTI)
