By Feon Ang, Vice President, LinkedIn Talent Solutions and Managing Director, APAC
Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant changes in the world of work—from a historical surge in hiring (“The Great Reshuffle”) to a slowdown; from the breakthrough of generative artificial intelligence into the workplace to shifts in the global economy. All these changes are reshaping not only what work looks like, but also how and where we work.
As the labor market has turned more favorable to employers, we have seen a pullback in offerings of remote work, with several high-profile return-to-office mandates making headlines recently. Conversely, we’re seeing some governments—including in Australia, the United Kingdom and Singapore—strengthen workers’ rights to request flexible working arrangements.
Across the globe, we continue to see the share of applications (demand) to hybrid and remote job postings outstrip the share of remote and job postings (supply) on LinkedIn. While this dynamic remains top of mind, we continue to see nuance across the region as professionals and business leaders grapple with adjusting to a new normal of work that includes variety in workplace settings.
Hybrid Models And Flexible Working Are Here To Stay
Even as more organizations look to balance flexibility with on-site collaboration, our data indicates that employees today are fiercely protective of the hybrid work arrangements and flexible hours gained during the pandemic.
Globally over the past two years, we’ve also seen a dramatic 123% surge in posts mentioning flexible work across our platform. According to LinkedIn data, this flexibility is now a key driver of job satisfaction and work-life balance. In fact, 79% of professionals in Singapore rank flexible work as a top priority. Both these findings indicate that flexible work options are still very much top of mind for many professionals and businesses alike.
The availability of these kinds of work models is also a pivotal factor in professionals’ choice of employer. We found that between 2021 and 2023, for example, the importance of flexible work as an employer value proposition grew by 10% for job seekers globally. The figure is even higher (14%) among Gen Z job seekers.
As all this suggests, employees—especially younger employees—have grown accustomed to being able to work in their preferred environment and to a schedule that’s tailored to their needs, and they’re unwilling to give these up.
Hybrid Work Has Its Challenges; Professionals Need Employer Support
However, while flexible work options are prized among professionals for the autonomy and work-life balance they offer, they can introduce new layers of complexity.
In Asia-Pacific (APAC), 1 in 4 professionals (26%) LinkedIn surveyed admit they struggle to successfully work from home or remotely—due to issues including challenges in accessing resources, or communicating efficiently across dispersed teams. A disconnect from company culture can also lead to a sense of isolation and a weaker connection to the organization, as felt by a fifth of APAC workers (20%).
Professionals are also starting to feel the challenges of gaining recognition for their performance, where employees find it more difficult to demonstrate their effectiveness and productivity when they are not physically present in an office. In Singapore alone, we found that nearly a third of professionals (32%) are feeling the pressure to demonstrate their effectiveness when working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement to remain competitive.
Correspondingly, nearly half of them (44%) are looking to employers to support them with tools such as virtual collaboration platforms, and digital infrastructure that offers remote access to company systems.
Supporting Hybrid Work Can Expand Talent Pools
This presents a significant opportunity for organizations and leaders. LinkedIn’s latest research finds that across APAC, 8 in 10 executives say they are adapting their leadership style to keep up with change, and this includes evolving their approach to remote and hybrid working. While companies move beyond pandemic-era policies to boost collaboration and innovation, they must balance business needs with employee well-being and flexibility.
For example, by investing in better communication tools, providing training on remote work best practices, and finding ways to strengthen the sense of community and culture in a dispersed work environment, companies can enhance productivity and collaboration and empower their employees to succeed in a hybrid setting.
Supporting hybrid working in these ways can also deliver other outsized benefits for the business, not least when it comes to attracting top talent. By providing the necessary resources and support for effective hybrid work, companies can enjoy a sizable hiring advantage.
LinkedIn data shows that globally, employers who have flexible work policies are 16% more likely to have candidates accept their LinkedIn InMails (where members can directly message others they’re not connected to) and 29% more likely to receive an application from a candidate who viewed one of their jobs.
This is a valuable insight for employers to consider as they strategize on attracting and retaining top talent—a company’s most valuable asset.
The Importance Of Soft Skills For Hybrid Work Success
For their part, professionals can also take steps to maximize productivity, collaboration and work–life balance to make hybrid work a successful reality. These steps might include scheduling regular check-ins with managers and colleagues during remote work periods, to update them on progress, address any issues and adjust plans as needed. Consistent communication fosters transparency and trust.
My advice to professionals is always to be upfront about availability, workload and any constraints that may occur when working this way. Setting realistic expectations prevents misunderstandings and ensures smoother collaboration.
Continuously developing the capabilities that can enhance effectiveness in different work environments can also deepen trust and strengthen accountability—over the past year, the top soft skill that we’ve seen professionals prioritize across Southeast Asia is emotional intelligence. Boosting soft skills is essential because communication and collaboration becomes inherently more complex when teams are dispersed.
Unsurprisingly, we’ve seen a significant increase in professionals taking up courses on Communicating with Empathy, Building Trust and Strategic Thinking on the LinkedIn Learning platform.
Trust And Adaptability Remain Key
As businesses face headwinds and rapid change, leaders must reset their priorities and ways of working in order to capitalize on the opportunities presented by change.
Adaptive leadership will be a key skill for leaders as they support employees through these shifts by investing in upskilling, communicating a clear vision and equipping teams with essential tools. Professionals, too, should take initiative to make hybrid work successful by developing key skills like adaptability and communication, enabling them to thrive as work evolves.
In today’s evolving workplace, there is no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to hybrid work models, and success hinges on trust from both leaders and professionals.