Is Remote Work Here to Stay?

The workplace has turned on its head amidst the global pandemic and has caused workers to work from home. As discussed in a previous blog post, there are both positive and negatives to this lifestyle. Today, however, we will be talking about whether or not people want to go back to work.

GoodHire, an employment background checking company, surveyed 3,500 American workers to better understand the current state of remote work in 2021. The survey attempts to discover whether workers truly want to return to the office or stay home. The first statistic may not be shocking but is telling of what opportunities work from home has provided. The study found that 68% of Americans would opt for remote work over going into the office. A majority of workers have gotten accustomed to working from home and may enjoy the positives that come along with it like skipping out on the commute to and from work.

The second statistic might be a bit more surprising. What’s very telling about this survey is that 61% of survey respondents said they would take a salary cut just to continue working remotely! So, not only do people prefer working from home but a majority couldn’t even be paid to go into the office.

You may be thinking What is the big deal? if you are one of the many people who enjoy working from home. My question is: What does this mean for the company? Individuals may prefer working at home but is that what is best for the company? What about from a recruiting standpoint? This represents a huge shift for HR professionals who are used to monitoring culture and working environments in the office. Without an office, it can be difficult to motivate workers, be productive, foster collaboration, and more. From an HR perspective, it is important to accept the concept of a hybrid approach to keep current and future employees happy. This study shows that employees want to work from home so companies will have to strike the right balance of trusting employees to do so.

To answer this week’s blog title, yes remote work is here to stay. This past year has revolutionized what we consider work to look like and it’s important to consider what this means for your business. Next week, I will discuss ways to keep employees motivated.

 

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