Back to the office? Nooo...

September is traditionally the start of the busiest recruitment period, when people come back from holiday and decide they need a change. Indeed, a recent survey by the recruitment firm GI Group UK, suggests that 50% of the workforce plan to change roles in the near future.

Interestingly, over 60% of 18–25-year-olds plan to move and nearly 50% of 26–35-year-olds, with the older generations a bit more restrained, but not by much.

Seems, happy employees stay longer and perform better. Fact. And part of this is the important part that workplace friendships play, giving value and meaning to going to work.

A recent survey by SEFE (the energy company) showed that nearly 9 in 10 employees consider workplace friendships a great part of their working lives, and an important one too.

But if you work for an SMB then the chances are you have considered moving if one of your colleagues’ leaves.

Indeed, a recent survey has found that one in three employees in small businesses have left after a colleague has quit and almost 50% have said they would do so if their team was disrupted by resignations.

Many SMBs rely on good teamwork and close relationships with many employees enjoying work simply because of the team around them and their collective purpose. Destroy this and the enjoyment may go. With many seeing colleagues out of work you can see how employees leaving can be difficult and challenging for all.

Would you get this in a remote or hybrid role? Who knows.

What is certain is that the ‘enforced’ return to the office insisted on by many large companies may have the knock-on effect of staff leaving. We have all got used to the hybrid and home working flexibility of recent years and many of us don’t want to give that up.

Over half of us have hybrid working arrangements, with a quarter fully remote. Would you give this up?

The recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce has shown that up to half of all businesses will want employees back in the office within a year. Ten percent though reported that workers were resigning in response to these tighter rules! Add in the fact that a million employees have moved on since 2024 due to a lack of flexible working and we have the perfect storm of employer vs employee power!

Okay, so the jobs market is tight and challenging, but if over 40% of all age groups are looking for a change, now is a good time to sort your job search strategy to ensure you stand out from the crowd.