FROM FLEXIBILITY TO RETENTION: HOW HYBRID WORK INFLUENCES IT EMPLOYEES VIA QUALITY OF WORK LIFE

Abstract

The swiftness with which hybrid work models were embraced after the COVID pandemic totally changed the structure of organizations, and the IT sector, which is largely knowledge-oriented, felt the strongest impact. The present research aims to study the effect of hybrid work on employee retention, mediated through the quality of work life (QWL), among the IT employees in Chennai. Hybrid work is seen as a multidimensional construct which has three empirically backed up variables: Schedule flexibility, location mix, and core hours. These variables are measured using standardized scales. A total of 250 IT employees in Chennai were included in the sample, from which data were collected by a questionnaire, and the simple random sampling method was used. The results pointed to IT talent retention as the main advantage of hybrid models in urban India; therefore, policy makers should focus on core hours, digital tools, and leadership support