While COVID will no doubt permanently alter the way many people work, not all Australians seem sure how that will look.
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Chances are some will be disaffected and join the "great resignation", some will continue to inhabit a home office and revel in it, and some will be thankful to be employed whatever the circumstances.
However research is beginning to deliver a clearer picture of the possibilities and how they will be received.
A new study involving software company Adaptavist shows 48 per cent of Australian digital workers want to return to the office full-time, while 42 per cent favour a hybrid model.
Just one in 10 want to be exclusively remote.
Yet as hybrid work increasingly becomes long-term for workers in the sector, there appears to be unease over the extra tools and technologies they rely on to contribute remotely.
Seventy two per cent say they at least sometimes feel invisible to colleagues on digital platforms despite their interactions and posts.
Fifty six per cent say they spend half an hour or more each day looking for information to perform tasks, searching emails or chat conversations, while 48 per cent feel burdened with software requirements.
Adaptavist CEO Simon Haighton-Williams says there is still much to be done.
"The last 18 months has driven many organisations and teams apart and distrust has grown, with 37 per cent actively pursuing finding a new job outside of their current organisation," he said.
"Of those respondents, 66 per cent are looking for another job directly related to how the company responded to COVID-19."
Rather than examining post-pandemic migration trends, a study commissioned by recruitment specialist SEEK sheds light on the benefits of staying with current employers.
And the news is good.
The data reveals workers applying for internal opportunities with their own companies have a substantial 69 per cent success rate.
Going through the application process may be simpler than expected as well.
Two thirds of hirers say they'd manage internal moves themselves rather than engaging external hirers.
The findings suggest candidates may be able to leverage the market rather than resigning or looking outwards.
The lead-up to Christmas also shapes as the ideal time to have conversations about re-alignment or promotion as managers start planning for next year.
SEEK found 51 per cent of candidates would more likely stay if there were internal opportunities available.
Fifty two per cent of hirers said confidence in candidates' abilities and strengthened employee loyalty were the key benefits to hiring internally.
When asked why they applied for an internal position, female candidates were more concerned with job familiarity, while males were after progression.
Meanwhile, a study by tech company LiveTiles has found 37 per cent of participants willing to switch to a job offering lower pay in return for a better experience.
On average, those polled gave their current employers 6-7 out of 10 for the work experiences they provide and the sense of workplace connection and culture they create.
Some 46 per cent said they felt stressed, exhausted or fed up with trying to do their jobs during lockdowns.
The pandemic has clearly made people reassess what is important to them, says LiveTiles employee experience manager Sarah Gildea.
"Employers need to take note because if they want to hold on to employees and attract the best talent, they need to craft an experience that supports people to be their best, particularly as the economy opens back up and expectations change," she said.
Australian Associated Press
