A majority of Asia’s workforce have expressed a desire for flexibility in where their work gets done, while only 7% of Asia's workforce now want to commit to a completely onsite work arrangement, according to a study ‘Decoding Global Ways of Working’, conducted in partnership with SEEK Asia, Boston Consulting Group and The Network.

A total of 66,624 respondents in Asia, out of 209,000 participants across 190 countries, took part in the study.

The study found that most of the Asian respondents prefer to work two to three days remotely every week, with two exceptions. Nearly half, or 49%, of the respondents in the Philippines prefer to work all five days completely remote. Reasons could be related to the increasing rate of Covid-19 infection, worsening traffic situation pre-Covid lockdown and the inadequate public transportation system. On the other hand, 9% of the respondents in Hong Kong are keen on a completely remote arrangement, this is likely due to their housing situation, where their houses are not ideal for a home office, the study stated.

Apart from work location and work practices, the survey also identified some shifts in what people value at work. Good relationships with their colleagues, followed by financial compensation in the form of salaries and bonuses, are what Asian employees consider when it comes to staying in their current jobs.

In 2020, good relationships with their supervisors became the third most important near-term benefit. Employer's financial stability, career development, learning and skills training, while still important considerations, now rank lower.

Meanwhile, the majority, or 79%, of respondents indicated that the issue of employers' environmental responsibility has become more important to them. This sentiment is especially strong amongst workers in Indonesia (85%), the Philippines (83%) and Malaysia (80%). Roughly seven in ten respondents now value diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Social issues resonate strongly with workers in Thailand (91%), the Philippines (85%) and Malaysia (83%).

Nearly half, or 60%, of respondents said that they would exclude companies that do not match their beliefs in environmental responsibility when searching for a job. This stood at 65% for Malaysia, 64% for Indonesia and 59% for the Philippines. For diversity and inclusion, the number is 57% with 67% for Hong Kong, 66% for Malaysia and 63% for Thailand.

"Covid-19 has changed the world, down to the micro level. Workers around the world have begun re-evaluating their work priorities," Peter Bithos, Chief Executive Officer, Seek Asia, said. "Accordingly, employers must too change their work policies in order to remain attractive to top talents. In today's digital world, they must be technology champions, ensuring convenient access to collaboration tools and the deployment of robust infrastructure in both the office and at home. Secondly, they must make employee well-being, work-life balance, mentorship and career development a key part of their companies' core. Finally, they need to be a role model to their employees, with their corporate social responsibility efforts focusing on tackling important social and/or environmental issues."