Ashutosh Gupta, Country Manager – India, LinkedIn
Nine out of 10 business leaders in India believe economic uncertainty threatens to roll back “pandemic progress” in the workplace, according to research by online business network LinkedIn, published on Monday.
The research found that the flexibility and benefits introduced during the pandemic are now under threat due to the current economic uncertainty. He noted that 91% of business leaders said the current economic climate could threaten flexible working, while other areas of working life such as learning and development (90%) and wellness being employees (89%) are most likely to be affected as well.
“More than two-fifths of Indian business leaders are looking to cut budgets and employer learning and development opportunities (43%), and nearly half (49%) are looking to cut flexible work roles and hybrids (49%),” he said. , adding that 71% prefer employees to work from their desks more often than from home. Despite this, 82% of business leaders said they believe hybrid working is here to stay for the longer term.
The research findings come at a time when a new analysis of remote job postings on LinkedIn showed remote roles are on the decline, although applications for these roles outnumber supply by nearly double in India. . In September 2022, 11.3% of paid job openings in India offered a remote work option; however, remote work roles received 20.3% of all applications.
The company added that research on senior management – or the C-level – showed that a majority (86%) of business leaders in India were concerned that these cost-cutting measures would negatively impact productivity levels. employee motivation – which may also be why 84% agree they are unable to find the right talent today.
Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn said, “The scale of current uncertainty is forcing many leaders to rethink what they can offer their employees today and how much. While flexibility and learning are usually the first to go when times get tough, giving it up in the current situation could demotivate employees, widen the skills gap and inflate retention rates.”
Mr. Gupta added that at a time when professionals are just as threatened by the Age of Uncertainty as businesses, leaders must adopt a forward-thinking approach and continue to invest in their people.
