The Future of Remote Work: How Will COVID-19 Change The Way We Work?

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This Rise of Remote Work LinkedIn Newsletter was born back in 2018 when I quit my corporate job to "explore the world of remote work". Little did I know that half of the world's workforce would be forced to work from home two short years later.

Over the last couple of weeks, companies including Google, Microsoft, & JPMorgan have announced work-from-home until the end of the year, and large organizations including Twitter, Facebook, and Shopify even announced permanent remote work policies in response to COVID-19. This clearly shows that remote work is no longer the future of work — it is happening right now.

In January 2019, I was asked to manage the Remote Workers on LinkedIn group — since then, we've grown from around 2,000 members to currently more than 50,000 (aspiring) remote workers around the world. Their stories and insights are invaluable to help those who are considering transitioning into remote work.

"Remote work is no longer the future of work — it is happening right now."

In the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing interviews with top remote work leaders, experts, and advocates worldwide to share their stories and insights to educate and inspire others who are making the transition into remote work.

To kick-off, I conducted an advanced LinkedIn Sales Navigator search based on the +50K member data of this group and an online survey covering the responses of 511 (aspiring) remote workers about the future of remote work post-COVID-19.

I'm excited to share my latest findings in this article below:

What Is The Definition Of Remote Work?

First, let's define remote work.

Recently, a friend of mine who works at Google asked me about the definition of remote work. It turns out that if you type "what is remote work?" into Google, it leads you to a Wikipedia page on?telecommuting?(primarily "work from home").

Here is my definition of remote work based on my experience working remotely for the past two and a half years (as quoted in Remoter: "The Why-and-How Guide to Building Successful Remote Teams", 2020):

"Remote work means you have the freedom and the flexibility to work from a place where you feel the happiest & productive."

I believe that remote workers should be able to work from wherever they feel the happiest and most productive — whether that's a cafe or a home office. The decision should be yours to make.

However, as companies are transitioning into remote work, they need to consider and clearly define what remote work exactly means for their organization in their remote work policies.

Top Industries For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

Now, let's have a look at the demographic data of the group. I conducted a LinkedIn Sales Navigator search on July 1st, 2020 which includes LinkedIn data from +50,000 members of the Remote Workers on LI group.

The top 5 industries of remote workers on LinkedIn are:

1. Information Technology & Services (12.3%);
2. Computer Software (7.6%);
3. Marketing & Advertising (6.6%);
4. Financial Services (3.8%);
5. Hospital & Healthcare (3.8%).

Top Company Size For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

Next, the data shows that the majority of remote workers on LinkedIn are currently employed at small to medium-sized companies with a headcount between 1 - 200 employees (51.1%), followed by large organizations of 10,000+ employees (21.6%). The smallest portion of remote workers are self-employed (4.5%).

Top Seniority Level For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

For job seniority, the data shows that a large number of remote workers are Senior-level (41%), followed by Entry-level (23.9%) and Director-level (8.5%). A potential explanation might be the popularity of remote work especially among younger generations such as Millennials and Gen Z who tend to hold Senior or Entry-level positions.

Top Job Functions For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

Furthermore, the top 5 job functions for remote workers on LinkedIn are:

1. Business Development (19%);
2. Sales (10.4%);
3. Information Technology (9.5%);
4. Operations (8.5%);
5. Engineering (8.5%).

Other popular job functions include Marketing (8.5%), Media and Communication (7.6%), Human Resources (6.6%), Arts and Design (5.7%), and Education (4.7%).

The above data is interesting from both a demand and supply perspective as companies looking to hire remote professionals vs. professionals looking for remote opportunities might benefit from the above insights in their search.

Current Remote Work Status For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

Now, let's dig a little bit deeper and have a look at the insights gathered from the 511 online survey respondents acquired on behalf of Make the Leap Digital.

Here's an overview of their current remote work status:

• Works remotely for a company (55%);
• Works remotely as a freelancer or contractor (19.2%);
• Works remotely as an online business owner (6.7%);
• Aspires to work remotely post-COVID-19 (19.2%).

Additionally, about 1 of 3 remote workers have been working remotely between 1 and 5 years (32.7%), followed by less than a year (23.5%), between 5 and 10 years (18.4%), and more than 10 years (17.4%). Hence, remote work seems a sustainable career path for those aspiring to work remotely or hire remotely.

Timezone For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

When asked whether remote workers are tied to a specific timezone, it seems that the majority (57.9%) have the freedom to design their work schedule whereas 42.1% are tied to a specific timezone. However, the data shows that the #1 desired perk is having the freedom to work from anywhere without a specific timezone. Companies should consider this when (re)defining remote work policies.

Remote Work Preference Post-COVID-19

Remote work has become increasingly popular since COVID-19 as the below charts show that a little more than 2 out of 3 remote workers on LinkedIn (69.7%) ideally would like to have the opportunity to work remotely full-time compared to 51.9% spent working remotely pre-COVID-19. Additionally, companies should consider allowing a minimum of three remote workdays per week as per the below charts:

Top Benefits vs. Challenges For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

Whilst companies can greatly benefit from remote work, including decreased real estate costs, lower carbon footprint, and attracting & retaining top talent, let's have a look at the top remote work benefits from a professional perspective.

The top 5 benefits for remote workers on LinkedIn are:

1. Not having to commute (85.1%);
2. Freedom to work from anywhere (79.8%);
3. Improved work-life balance (71%);
4. Increased productivity (68.3%);
5. Ability to work from home (65%).

Other benefits include improved overall happiness (64%), reduced feelings of stress (50.7%), having the flexibility to design your work schedule (55%), and the?ability to spend more time with friends and family (46.8%).

This data clearly shows that companies do not need to worry about employee productivity — rather, they need to invest in overcoming potential challenges to ensure a sustainable remote workforce.

Here are the top 5 challenges for remote workers on LinkedIn:

1. Not being able to unplug from work (52.3%);
2. Setting boundaries (41.3%);
3. Feelings of isolation or loneliness (34.2%);
4. Distractions at home?(30.1%);
5. Remote collaboration?(25.4%).

Other challenges include timezone difference (20.9%), working from an ergonomic workspace (20.5%), communication with team members and clients (19.5%), finding reliable Wi-Fi (14%), and keeping up with motivation (13.8%).

Preferred Location For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

The majority of remote workers prefer to work from home (88.3%) followed by a co-working space (3.1%), or a local coffee shop (2.9%). However, the qualitative data shows that it's really about the flexibility to work from anywhere — whether that's from a home office, bedroom, a library, or while traveling in an RV truck.

Top Perks and Benefits For Remote Workers on LinkedIn

As companies are transitioning into remote work, companies need to adopt perks and benefits to align with a remote workforce and ensure that employees are both happy and productive while working remotely.

Here are the top perks and benefits according to remote workers on LinkedIn:

1. Work from anywhere without a specific timezone (71.8%);
2. Wi-Fi reimbursement (67.7%);
3. Home-office set-up fee (59.5%).

Other suggested perks and benefits are a co-working space allowance, a wellness stipend (gym membership or spa), quarterly or (bi)annual in-person meetings for socialization, healthcare coverage, and a professional development stipend.

Things To Consider For Companies Looking To Transition Into Remote Work

Transitioning into remote work is not only about the tools. Here are a few of the most important things to consider for companies looking to transition to remote work post-COVID-19:

1. Have the right tools and systems in place (80.4%);
2. Have a dedicated remote work policy (66.7%);
3. Training of leadership team for remote (soft) skills (61.4%).

A few other important things to consider are training employees for remote (soft) skills (50.3%), an online?community for remote employees (35.4%), a dedicated remote work lead (30.5%), and providing an ergonomic workspace (30.7%).

Overall Attitude Towards Remote Work Post-COVID-19

To conclude, the below charts say it all: 99% of (aspiring) remote workers want to work remotely, at least some of the time, post-COVID-19, and an impressive 98.6% recommend remote work to others.

Additional Thoughts

The above insights show that the world of work is changing and companies need to adopt a sustainable remote work policy if they want to meet the changing demands of the global workforce.

It is important to ensure that remote employees feel included as part of the wider organization and have equal access to career opportunities, networking, and perks & benefits as in-office employees.

Making the transition into remote work doesn't happen overnight — management needs to lead by example and build trust between leadership and remote teams. And, above all, it takes thoughtful consideration and a plan of action.

I hope these insights inspire you to rethink the way we work post-COVID-19 and help you to make the leap of faith into remote work.

Many thanks to everyone who responded to the online survey and special thanks to Alexander Besant for initiating the Remote Workers on LI group. Feel free to share this with your network and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Mandy Fransz is the owner and founder of Make the Leap Digital — a boutique consulting agency helping businesses worldwide digitally transform the way they work. Interested to learn more about remote work for your team or organization? Feel free to schedule a 30-minute introduction call to discuss a potential collaboration or visit my website for more information.

* Methodology: Part of the results of this analysis represents insights obtained from an advanced search in LinkedIn Sales Navigator on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, on the Remote Workers on LinkedIn group (currently named "Remote Workers Worldwide"). As such, it’s influenced by how members choose to use the site, which can vary based on professional, social, and regional culture, as well as overall site availability and accessibility. The online survey was conducted amongst 511 (aspiring) remote workers on LinkedIn from June 17 until 30, 2020. This online survey is based on a Survey Monkey sample size calculator with a confidence level of 95% and an estimated 5% margin of error.