New research into the number of Google searches around hybrid work reveals that searches have increased drastically over the past 12 months.
The pandemic has no doubt shaped the way employees want to work. Professionals increasingly want employers to leave the traditional in-office 9-5 behind and adopt a best-of-both-worlds model. Recent surveys show that 55% of UK office workers favor hybrid working, and 87% of US workers offered the chance to work from home are grabbing the opportunity, spending an average of three days a week doing so.
This trend is further evidenced by a new analysis we conducted showing that the United Kingdom and the United States have both experienced a surge in searches around hybrid work.
In the UK, three in five UK CEOs predict a permanent return to the office. In the context of this, it perhaps comes as no surprise that there has been a 30% increase in UK workers searching for information about hybrid work.
The research found that searches around hybrid work spiked by 46% from December to January last year. This suggests that workers were using the new year as an opportunity to seek a career with more flexible benefits, and with no signs of the return to the office discussion being settled any time soon, we can expect the same trend as we enter 2023.
Keyword | Average monthly search volume | % trend |
hybrid work | 9900 | 0 |
hybrid working meaning | 4400 | 24 |
what is hybrid work | 2900 | 26 |
what is hybrid working | 2900 | 26 |
hybrid jobs | 720 | 841 |
hybrid jobs near me | 390 | 929 |
hybrid jobs meaning | 320 | 182 |
hybrid work meaning | 320 | 555 |
hybrid roles | 260 | 129 |
hybrid work definition | 260 | -19 |
Being face-to-face in the office allows colleagues to share and absorb knowledge, especially if they’re starting their career and need to build on their skills.
“It’s clear that adopting a more flexible working model is a sure way to attract and retain talent in the face of The Great Resignation,” said Zoë Morris, UK President at Frank Recruitment Group. “By introducing hybrid work, workers have increased flexibility to manage and enjoy their personal life, while still experiencing the benefits that in-office work has to offer. Being face-to-face in the office allows colleagues to share and absorb knowledge, especially if they’re starting their career and need to build on their skills. In addition, it can help employees experience a more immediate sense of belonging”.
The popularity of hybrid work has also grown in the US. Searches have shot up by 130% in the last year, with figures rising significantly in March and remaining consistently high.
This jump coincides with Biden’s announcement that “it’s time for Americans to get back to work,” which sparked many companies to call for their employees to return to the office full-time. Whilst some were pleased to hear this, the data suggests others had taken a liking to working a combination of both remote and in-office.
With 4.1 million Americans quitting in September, adopting this style of working could be key to attracting and retaining talent in the US as well amid its popularity. Our analysis found a whopping 494% increase in searches for “hybrid jobs near me,” suggesting that many Americans are looking for jobs with this model.
There was also an astonishing 515% rise in searches for “hybrid work meaning” and a 120% increase for both the searches “what is hybrid work” and “what is hybrid working,” indicating Americans are interested in discovering what hybrid work could look like for them.
| Month | Average Search Volume |
| Oct-21 | 9240 |
| Nov-21 | 11,810 |
| Dec-21 | 10,120 |
| Jan-22 | 14,420 |
| Feb-22 | 14,850 |
| Mar-22 | 20,210 |
| Apr-22 | 20,380 |
| May-22 | 19,100 |
| Jun-22 | 20,400 |
| Jul-22 | 21,480 |
| Aug-22 | 23,560 |
| Sep-22 | 21,240 |
Not everyone might want to work from home or have a suitable environment to do so, and they must know they can still come into the office full-time.
“Establishing the right balance between working from home and working from the office can mean employees can reap the benefits of both. Not everyone might want to work from home or have a suitable environment to do so, and they must know they can still come into the office full-time,” said Rowan O’Grady, President of Americas at Frank Recruitment Group.
“Certain teams within a department can arrange set days to come into the office together, allowing them to experience the benefits that in-office work has to offer. It can be a great way for employees to collaborate on projects and learn from one another – whether by noticing how someone approaches a task or asking a quick question on how to use a program. This can be especially useful for employees who are just starting out in their career, are new to the company, or need to develop or fine-tune their skills.”
Our research discovered there was a positive trend in both the UK and the US for searches around hybrid work. Although the total searches in the United States are slightly lower than in the UK, America saw a bigger increase in the overall upwards trend. This could suggest that both countries are undergoing a shift in the preferred style of working.
Methodology
A long list of 125 search terms around hybrid work was collated using keyword research tools. The search volume data and percentage increase/decrease in searches for each term in the UK and US were then collected using Keyword Tool. Subsequently, the datasets were ranked by the search volume data to identify the top ten in the UK and US. The data corresponds to searches conducted on Google within the UK and US from 1st Oct 2021 – 30th Sept 2022. Data is accurate as of 09/11/2022.
