Financial services bosses want to cut down on working from home

While many of them recognise the value of the hybrid working model, 76% of financial services leaders across the UK told KPMG that they are planning to increase office attendance in the next 12 months.

Having asked 150 leaders working across banking, insurance, asset and wealth management and private equity, KPMG found that 37% of those planning to increase attendance will expect employees to be in the office at least four days a week.

However, highlighting mixed views on this issue, 58% say that the offer of hybrid working is a competitive opportunity for the sector; 20% of those who take this view argue that the opportunity is significant.

Despite differing locational working preferences, all age groups of employees in the sector said that flexibility around hybrid working is important when choosing a job and, in a separate KPMG survey, just 10% want to work in the office full time.

Global and UK Head of Financial Services at KPMG, Karim Haji, said: “There is no one-size fits all approach to this and businesses are still trying to find the hybrid working sweet spot more than two years on from the pandemic.

“Leaders see the commercial value of hybrid working models, particularly when it comes to attracting and retaining talent, but they are still expecting greater office attendance in the coming months to retain collaboration with colleagues and clients.”

Leaders are planning to track attendance in several ways, KPMG has reported.

Almost half of financial services leaders (45%) plan to monitor attendance through office card swipe systems, followed by 40% using timesheets, while 29% will install digital cameras.

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