Indian workers happy to return to the office, new survey finds
Some 63% of Indian workers believe working remotely has not affected their careers, but an equal number believes their career could be hampered if they shunned the office, according to new research by LinkedIn.
And almost three-quarters (71%) of Indians say they believe they have to overcompensate when working from home to show that they are serious about their job.
The research found that Indian workers’ attitudes towards going into their work are changing. While they once felt obliged to go into the office, 78% of professionals say they now go in by choice, with 86% of Indians saying they feel positive about it compared with a year ago.
The research found that most workers like it when a co-worker shows up unannounced at their desk for a chat—a workplace practice termed ‘desk-bombing’. As many as 62% of respondents in India see desk-bombing as a great way to have impromptu conversations.
“We’re starting to see a shift in attitude when it comes to working in the office,” said Nirajita Banerjee, managing editor, LinkedIn India. “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.”
Employees are also structuring their working week differently, with 79% of Indians saying Thursday is their last in-office working day. Some 46% say they try to focus on finishing the week’s work quickly on Fridays before starting the weekend early.
Socialising and bonding with co-workers are important factors. For 43% of Indians social interaction was the number-one reason for going into the office, with having more efficient face-to-face meetings with co-workers (42%) and building work relationships (41%) a close second and third.
Indian workers break 100m member mark on LinkedIn
More than 100 million people in India are now signed up to LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, representing 56% in growth over the past three years. India is now the second-largest market for LinkedIn globally, with the US being the largest.
The largest share of members in Indian workers in software and IT is followed by manufacturing, corporate services (consulting, accounting and HR), finance, and education.
Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager at LinkedIn, said” “It is heartening, and gratifying, to see our 100-million-member community in India using the platform extensively for more than jobs now – they are over-indexing on networking, messaging, and learning more than any other region globally.”
He also added: “With new tech advancements and newer digital opportunities on the horizon, it’s inspiring to see our country being fully engaged in skilling and upskilling, with members in India consuming twice as many learning hours on the platform when compared to members in the US.”
In 2022, professionals in India spent 4.6 million hours learning on the platform, nearly twice the learning hours spent on the platform in the US.
According to LinkedIn’s latest Workplace Learning Report, “upskilling employees” is the top priority for India’s training managers, and “providing learning opportunities” is their top solution for improving retention.
This sharpened focus on skills comes at a time when 85% of learning and development leaders agree that learner engagement has increased in their organization. The report’s finding findings show that the number-one motivation for employees to learn is to progress towards their career goals.
This year’s list of LinkedIn’s top 10 most in-demand skills in India are as follows:
- Management
- Software development
- SQL
- Communication
- Java
- Leadership
- Engineering
- Analytical skills
- Python (programming language) &
- Sales
