Gen X, Boomers more willing to return to work, Gen Z and Millennials want to wait: Survey

A huge section of India’s professional workforce has been working from home because of the Covid-19 lockdown and while some are very keen to return to office, the younger lot of the workforce are more inclined towards waiting it out till things become better.

LinkedIn asked 1,351 professionals in India how they feel about returning to work and incorporated the responses in the sixth edition of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index. The survey was taken over June 1 to June 14.

The index shows that India’s overall confidence remains steady with a composite score of +48 as these professionals prepare to return to work. There is also an environment of cautious optimism that reflects in the “strong short-term and long-term employer confidence levels of professionals from sectors such as corporate services and manufacturing”.

The country’s workforce also has begun feeling more confident about their personal finances with 1 in 4 expecting their earned income (25%) and personal spending (26%) to increase in the next six months. About 1 in 3 professionals also expect their personal savings (31%) and personal recurring debt payments (29%) to increase in the next six months.

As far as getting back to the physical workspace is concerned, older professionals are more keen on stepping out and getting back, while the younger ones want to wait a little more. About 38% of Gen X and 29% of Baby Boomers, as per the survey, said they are willing to get back to office as soon as they are allowed. One in 3 Gen Z (29%) and Millennials (32%) said that they feel safer working remotely and would want to do so longer.

“Younger workers are adept in using digital means of communication. Senior professionals may find it challenging to hire and manage performance of remote teams,” said HR expert Abhijit Bhaduri, speaking about why this opinion of getting back to work differs from generation to generation.

The survey finding also reveal that more than half (55%) of Indian professionals think being exposed to people neglecting safety precautions is a key concern. And 58% of Millennials and 56% of Gen X professionals are also concerned about the same problem. About 42% Millennials are concerned about commuting to work while nearly half (46%) are worried about eating and sharing resting/collaborative spaces.

The survey also shows that inadequate spacing between workstations is another primary concern when it comes to returning to work, as it could make it tough to practice social distancing.

The survey also looked into how Indian professionals feel about the short-term (6 months) and long-term (1 year) future of their companies. With regards to short-term employer confidence, findings show that 50% of corporate services professionals, 46% of manufacturing professionals and 41% of Education professionals think their companies will be better off six months from now.

In the case of long-term employer confidence, 64% of manufacturing, 60% of corporate services, and 59% of software and IT professionals believe their companies will be better off one year from now.

Age group definition

Gen Z = Less than 25 years old

Millennials = Between 25-39 years old

Gen X = Between 40-54 years old

Baby boomers = 55 years old or more