The understatement of the millennium is that there have been a few changes in how, when, and where people work since the start of the pandemic. But beyond an idle observation, companies are taking note of what this means for them, and how this changes the expectations of their employees.
In a recent Gallup’s State of the Workforce study conducted in May/June, key findings point toward workers in the U.S. working at least some of their hours remotely after the pandemic. Another survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Rippling showed that three-quarters (76%) of respondents said they’d even apply to a role outside of their current industry if it were completely remote. This is big news for employers, indeed—particularly when a labor shortage rages.
Components of the labor shortage have been debated, but regardless of how you believe politics, policy, and demographics are contributing to it, it’s clear that some forces are having an impact. Women, for instance, have had to make particularly difficult career decisions as school boards across the country shut down schools for much of 2020 and 2021. Turns out, being an instructional facilitator and providing educational tech support for a houseful of unmotivated and sometimes depressed or anxious kids doesn’t do much for the ol’ career path. Shocker. In January’s jobs report, the labor force participation rate for men was 67.9 percent, compared with 56.8 percent for women.
But working from home—particularly when you’re not simultaneously running a virtual learning academy from your kitchen table—has brought with it a suitcase of successes. In the OnePoll survey, 77% of around 2,000 respondents reported finding simple pleasures in working from the comfort of their home. More frequent coffee or snack breaks (54%), more time with family (51%), a more casual dress code (50%) and more comfortable seating (50%) were all big-ticket reasons employees liked the set-up.
Gallup reported key findings that of nearly 9,000 Americans surveyed, “91% of workers in the U.S. working at least some of their hours remotely are hoping their ability to work at home persists after the pandemic, 54% of employees who work remotely at least some of the time say they would ideally like to split their time between working at home and in the office — a hybrid arrangement and 3 in 10 employees working remotely say they are extremely likely to seek another job if their company eliminates remote work.”
Related: How to Work from Home & Still Be Involved with Your Kids (It’s Possible!)
So what’s a company to do? There are clear benefits and comforts of remote work, but OnePoll found that “it presents a challenge for people to communicate with their co-workers and manager (48%), have their work recognized (44%), and maintain a work-life balance (44%).” Particularly during the onboarding process and for younger associates who might rely on seasoned employees for career progression, a fully remote workplace means more challenges and fewer opportunities.
One thing’s for sure: the future of the workforce is going to look very different from its past, and a hybrid model is what’s appearing in many an employer’s glass ball. Mark Lobosco, VP of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn tells ZDNet “Now that companies have built the framework – and experienced the cost and time savings associated with it – there’s no real reason to turn back.”
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