Pandemic turns finance professionals on to more flexible working

Fifty-four per cent of financial services employees want their organisation to offer alternative working patterns, such as flexible hours or choosing where to work from, following the pandemic, according to a new survey.

Deloitte’s Talent in FS survey of more than 2,000 financial services employees found that around half (52%) want their employer to allow them to work wherever they like in the UK, whilst a quarter (24%) want their employer to enable them to work outside of the UK, post-pandemic.

A third of employees working in financial services felt that their sense of belonging to their team and organisation decreased during the pandemic, largely due to the lack of face-to-face interactions.

More than a third (34%) of respondents felt that their relationships with colleagues are less deep and meaningful as a result of remote working, but almost half (45%) felt their sense of autonomy had increased during the same time.

The research revealed that two in three found their organisation’s culture was more supportive of the new ways of working during the pandemic. Among those working in investment banking, this proportion increased to almost three quarters (74%).

Almost half (48%) of those working in financial services think that ‘globalised talent’ – i.e. hiring people no matter where they are based – could become a reality, with the majority (76%) not feeling anxious about this.

Payal Vasudeva, financial services future of work partner at Deloitte, said: “Changes to how people work need to be reinforced by meaningful employee experiences. This could be a sense of belonging, purpose or greater flexibility in the hours they work or where they work from. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach.

“The new world of work is not about presenteeism but empowerment. Employees should be able to make some choices in how and where they work that make them their most productive.”

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