The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a rise in remote work, with many companies turning to digital mediums to allow their operations to continue under strict social distancing measures. According to the Global Talent Survey conducted by Totaljobs and The Network, remote work in the global workforce rose from 31% to 51%, with many roles in the knowledge-based sector leading the way in adopting remote work mediums. This unprecedented shift in the status quo has had a powerful effect on workers around the world, dramatically changing their perspective on remote work. The same survey noted that 89% of workers expect their jobs to offer at least some remote work options, even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.
This marks a turning point in workers’ priorities when selecting a job. Remote work allows for more flexible working hours and autonomy over your work. Workers found that this empowered them to not only stay safe and healthy during the pandemic, but create the schedules that proved most efficient and productive for their own lives. This is also reflected in the top priorities workers cited in the survey. Many workers also prioritized having a good relationship with their colleagues and managing a positive work-life balance, with having a job with interesting job content and prospects of learning new skills following closely behind. These changes in perspective, and employers’ newfound experience and willingness to engage with remote work, is likely to bring a long-term change in remote work prevalence.
