Nearly three in four CEOs said requiring a full-time return to the office is not a top business priority amid gains from implementing hybrid work, according to a new report.

The International Business Group surveyed more than 500 executives and found that 91% had embraced hybrid work, and 74% said that requiring a full-time return to the office was not a business priority.

This sentiment comes amid the benefits of hybrid work, according to the report. Three out of four adopters of the workplace arrangement said they saw:

• Improve employee engagement (77%)
• Improving company culture (75%)
• More efficient collaboration between teams and colleagues (75%)

They also believe that hybrid work has an impact on attracting talent. The report found that 73% of CEOs agreed that hybrid work has allowed them to attract and hire the best job candidates.

Companies have also expanded their talent pools, with 71% of CEOs saying they were able to offer roles to a more diverse group of people, according to the report.

“The popularity of hybrid working continues to grow as companies of all sizes realise its importance in creating an environment that is ideal for both business productivity and employee happiness,” said Mark Dixon, CEO of International Workplace Group, in a statement.

Hybrid working preserves talent

But alongside the gains from hybrid work, the report found that CEOs are not prioritizing the benefits of a full-time office, with hybrid work also becoming a non-negotiable for employees.

In fact, 76% of CEOs have seen improved employee retention since offering flexibility to employees, while 65% believe they will lose talent if they insist on employees being in the office full-time.

Rather than focusing on requests to return to the office, 94% of respondents said they are focused on investing in technology that will improve the hybrid experience, including 43% who said this was their biggest investment in the past 12 months.

“This latest research convincingly shows that CEOs appreciate the critical role that hybrid working plays in not only attracting, but retaining high-quality talent,” said Dixon.