The pandemic seems to have changed the functioning of IT firms forever. Nearly one-third of over six lakh employees in Hyderabad may have been asked to work-from-home permanently.

In regard to others, a hybrid model is getting ready, with staff required to come to office at least three days in a week.

With a significant chunk of employees finding their villages being better places to work and a tardy progress of vaccination leaving the staff perplexed, it is a daunting task for IT firms to convince their employees to return to work places.

An industry-wide survey conducted by Hyderabad Software Enterprises Association (HYSEA), which represents firms with an aggregate exports of ₹1.45-lakh crore in 2020-21, revealed that concerns about a possible third wave is the biggest worry among employees.

“Many employees are outside Hyderabad and seemingly reluctant to come back. A serious concern about the third wave of Covid-19 outbreak and availability of safe accommodation seem to be key obstacles for them to come back to offices,” a top official of HYSEA has said.

The HYSEA has done a survey on the Future of Work models even as the Telangana government has asked firms to consider reopening offices to give a boost to economy and livelihood opportunities in the IT ecosystem.

About a quarter of HYSEA’s 1,000 members took part in the survey.

That over 25 per cent of employees in 91 per cent of the companies are operating from outside Hyderabad shows the gravity of the issue.

“A significant 53 per cent of companies have more than 40 per cent of their workforce operating from outside Hyderabad. It has become a tough task for us to attract them back,” he said.

Hybrid model in the works

“Our approach is towards hybrid WFO (work from office) – three days a week for fully vaccinated employees. It is preferable for employees to stay in Hyderabad for easy access (to work place),” he said.

About 70 per cent of the IT firms have said that they would prefer a hybrid model – a week split between WFH and WFO. Interestingly, only six per cent of the companies said they would like to have a pre-pandemic situation (where all empolyees are working in offices), hinting at a tectonic shift the way the companies function.

What companies feel

Notwithstanding the concerns of employees, most of the IT firms want them back for several reasons. The top reasons – a higher strength would result in better team work and it is easy to mentor them in newer technologies and projects if they are at the campuses.

“As many as 76 per cent of the respondents feel that it is important to have more employees in offices in order to sustain organisational culture, identity and loyalty,” the report said.

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