What Do Employees Really Want in 2021? Citrix Research Offers the Answer

Hint: It’s flexibility, agility, and diversity.

The workplace is constantly evolving, and now faster since the pandemic set in. Still, specific trends seem to be emerging stronger than others. These trends include flexibility, agility, diversity, and a superior experience in attracting talent, according to a Citrix StudyOpens a new window .

Citrix conducted Talent AcceleratorOpens a new window , a study of 2,000 knowledge workers and 500 HR directors in the U.S., to help organizations and recruiters understand what employees are looking for as they join new organizations.

5 Trends from Citrix’s Talent Accelerator

Donna KimmelOpens a new window , chief people officer at CitrixOpens a new window , said, “This research is significant in how it sheds light on significant gaps between how HR directors and employees view the future of work. HR directors need to not only understand these differences but listen to employee expectations if they hope to attract and retain the talent they need to power their business and move things forward.”

1. The rise of digital nomads

• 88% surveyed said that they would prioritize complete flexibility in hours and location.
• 76% believe that even at the risk of a pay cut, employees will likely prioritize lifestyle over proximity to work
• 83% of employees and 69% of HR directors think that workers will probably move out of urban locations if they have the freedom to work remotely for a majority of the time
• 83% of employees – but only 66% of HR directors – predict that companies will base their search for new candidates on the flexible work model no matter where they live.

Several studies have pointed to employees’ comfort with remote work or a flexible hybrid model. And as stressful as it may have been for some, in a world where other factors go back to normal – such as readily available childcare and economies opening – employees will likely continue to thrive when working from home.

2. Technology the enabler

• 89% of employees believe that technology improves productivity.
• 86% of employees and 69% of HR directors report the use of technology among their business leaders to collaborate and innovate.
• Around two-thirds of employees and HR directors report feeling more connected to their direct manager, CEO, senior management team, and peers when working remotely than when working in the office.
• 73% of employees and 72% of HR directors believe technology use in the future will break down hierarchies and lead to more open communication with business leaders and senior management teams that may advance their careers.

COVID-19 has sped up companies’ digital transformation and keeping up with technology – or predicting tech needs before they arise – will be the only way to manage crises from now on. If there is one thing this pandemic has done, it is kept everyone on their toes. This is a positive development in terms of organizational and employee growth.

3. Outcome over output

• 86% of employees would prefer to work for a company that prioritizes outcome over output. 69% of HR directors say that their company currently operates in this way.
• 69% of workers say they are more productive – by an average of 72% – when they feel their employer trusts them to get the job done without monitoring their progress.
• 51% of HR directors think that their organization would be more productive if their employer/senior management took this stance.

Finding the balance between employee monitoring and trusting employees has been a challenge this year. But building employee trust would be ideal so that employees work without the stress of being monitored. And a Clutch survey found that employee monitoring software does not help increase productivity. With flexible work, employees expect the freedom to focus on outcome and not output. Monitoring the number of hours employees spend on their computers or how many hours they spend on a specific app will create a dissonance in their experience.

4. Career agility

• 82% of employees and 62% of HR directors believe that employees will have to improve their current skills or acquire new ones at least once a year for a competitive advantage.
• HR directors believe that ensuring an organization has the latest collaborative technology to enable agile learning is the most crucial factor in recruiting and retaining the best talent.
• 88% of employees confirm that they look for agile learning opportunities when seeking a new position.

Upskilling has been among the hot topics of the year. The agility HR and employees have had to show to adjust to the new workplace has been demanding. In the future, more organizations will expect this agility from employees, and more employees will want to be prepared for a crisis. This will include leveraging internal mobility to maximize available talent.

5. Diversity

• 86% of employees and two-thirds of HR directors believe that a diverse workforce will become even more critical as roles, skills, and company requirements change over time.
• 78% of employees and 69% of HR directors believe that their organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of neurodiversity. They say this will give the organization a competitive advantage.

Not just this, a recent Jobvite study found that candidates have started asking more questions about an organization’s diversity initiatives before joining it. This indicates that organizations will have no choice but to focus on diversity and inclusion as part of their efforts to hire quality talent. LinkedIn’s recent report also suggested that hiring managers will now be the organization’s conscience, setting the tone for the organization’s diversity stance and ensuing inclusion initiatives.

Kimmel concludes, “Overwhelmingly, we are seeing employees assert that they want to work for companies where they can pursue their passions and explore, create, and innovate alongside individuals with different perspectives to deliver meaningful outcomes. This will involve fostering diverse and inclusive environments, and we’ll also see flexible work models stick around as employees crave more malleability in their actual work format. The takeaway? The most savvy organizations will cultivate a workforce that is flexible, agile, diverse, and empowered to adapt to changing conditions and innovate quickly.”

As more and more studies confirm the key trends that will dominate 2021, it will be interesting to see how organizations adapt to the demands of the workplace of the future.