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Expect the unexpected

The opportunity

Before the pandemic, most companies didn’t predominantly work in a hybrid/flexible way. But what about those companies that did? Syneos Health is a diverse multinational contract research organisation operating in more than 100 countries. With an unusually high percentage of employees not assigned to an office (roughly 54%), Syneos Health went into the pandemic a step ahead of other companies.

But how did having globally dispersed employees benefit their organisation, and how can insights gained on this be leveraged for future planning?

To find the answer, Syneos Health approached Leesman in June 2021 to conduct a global remote work survey. The survey revealed surprising insights into the unique settings, challenges, preferences, roles and needs of their remote employees.

Value delivered

Syneos Health derived significant value from the Leesman Home Working survey, gaining a profound understanding of its diverse remote workforce. The insights enabled the formulation of a nuanced hybrid work environment, fostering employee satisfaction, community, and informed investments in tailored office strategies. This strategic approach has positioned the organisation for long-term success in a post-pandemic landscape.




Background


Syneos Health, a diverse multinational contract research organisation operating in over 100 countries, faced unexpected challenges when it commissioned Leesman to conduct a global Home Working survey in June 2021. With approximately 54% of its workforce not assigned to an office, the assumption was that the organisation, already accustomed to a high percentage of remote work, would seamlessly navigate the pandemic-induced shift to widespread home working.




Approach

The survey results, derived from polling 10,000 employees in 59 countries, provided enlightening insights into the varied landscape of home working performance across different regions. Countries like South Africa, the United States, Portugal, Slovakia, China, and Mexico excelled in adapting to home working. On the other hand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Chile, Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Finland faced challenges, presenting unexpected findings for Syneos Health.

One surprising revelation was the desire of Japanese employees to return to the office, contrary to expectations. Patrick Hoffman, Senior Vice President of Corporate Real Estate, noted that Japanese employees expressed a strong preference for being part of a community and working together, highlighting the importance of the office environment in fostering a sense of belonging.

Similarly, South Africa, perceived as an ideal working space, exhibited an impressive home working performance score (86.8 H-Lmi), indicating that many employees were content to continue working remotely. The data suggested that the nature of work, particularly roles involving focused tasks like biostatistics, contributed to the success of home working in certain regions.

The survey, comparing home working performance across countries, allowed Syneos Health to identify factors influencing employee satisfaction in each location. Key findings included the impact of the quality of home workspaces on satisfaction, with countries facing space constraints (particularly in Asia) reporting lower satisfaction levels. Additionally, the importance of feeling connected to colleagues and the organisation emerged as a critical factor. In high-performing countries, over 80% of employees felt connected, surpassing the global benchmark by more than 10%, while low-performing countries lagged.

Armed with these insights, Syneos Health formulated a post-pandemic strategy that prioritises individual needs and flexibility. The organisation resisted a one-size-fits-all approach, focusing instead on tailoring solutions to meet specific employee requirements. The HR and real estate teams collaborated closely to develop a hybrid working environment, introducing a third option that allows home-based employees to affiliate with a specific office. This innovation offers increased choice and flexibility, enabling employees to engage with colleagues and attend office events.

The survey findings have positioned Syneos Health to predict the future shape of its office footprints, anticipate the materials and infrastructure required by employees, and make a compelling business case for investment and expansion. Looking forward the organisation plans to leverage Leesman data for ongoing evaluations, conducting year-on-year comparisons to refine its evolving office strategy and ensure alignment with employee needs and preferences.

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