According to managers Ricoh consulted, in a hybrid environment, Spanish employees are 6% more productive, which equates to a potential revenue of 8,000 million euros for the Spanish economy. In a study conducted by Opinium and analyzed by CEBR on behalf of Ricoh, 1,000 employees and 250 decision makers from all over Spain were surveyed.

However, this potential growth —result of increased productivity levels associated with increased employee satisfaction and reduced travel time— has not materializedgiven that less than half, that is, 44% of companies, offer hybrid systems to their employees. Another PlanRadar study showed that Spain is the European country where teleworking has declined the fastest and reductions are expected. In fact, our country stands out as only one of the 12 countries that participated in this survey opposed for trends in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and the United Arab Emirates.

Businesses risk hindering their future growth if they ignore the potential productivity gains associated with hybrid work. Additionally, the ability to work flexibly and better reconcile personal and professional commitments has clear advantages for worker well-being and satisfaction. Different academic studies show that it has a positive impact on talent retention and attraction, with a 35% dropout reduction for those who can work from home two days a week.

Still, practically speaking half (49%) of decision makers want to force a full-time return to the officealthough the majority of employees (77%) say they prefer some type of hybrid working modality to a completely remote or in-office alternative.

flexibility

Ramon Martin, CEO of Ricoh for Spain and Portugal, stated: “Supporting people to work flexibly will generate significant economic benefits for their companies, as well as generate well-being and satisfaction in employees. However, a hybrid work policy is useless if the necessary technology is not adopted to facilitate collaboration between colleagues and clients, regardless of their location.”

“While the office remains an important environment for encouraging social collaboration and building a strong work culture, it is important to design the space with the exchange of ideas and creativity in mindincorporating essential digital functions to ensure seamless communication with those working remotely.”