The Remote Work Weekly #4

Welcome to the fourth edition of The Remote Work Weekly!

In this week's edition, for the first time in The Remote Work Weekly, we explore some of Gen-Z's trends and how businesses might deal with them. We also highlight concerning research results showing the decline of a specific category of remote and hybrid jobs, and summarize new research from Atlassian on distributed work.

Dealing with “Loud Quitters” and “Rage Applying”

For the first time on The Remote Work Weekly, we explore some of Gen-Z's work trends. I wasn't familiar with the terms “Load Quitting” and “Rage Applying” until I stumbled upon an article highlighting them.

Loud Quitting refers to when someone quits their job and then loudly expresses all the negative emotions caused by the employer on social media. On the other hand, Rage Applying is about sending numerous job applications when someone becomes discontented at work.

Despite how immature these practices may sound to older professionals, it is essential to note that Gen-Z makes up 27% of the global workforce. Surveys show that 42% of Gen-Zers prioritize work/life balance over job perks, while 55% research a company’s environmental impact and policies before accepting an offer. These results highlight significant differences in behavior and work ethics compared to other generations, such as millennials, making it important for businesses to adjust their hiring and work policies to address young workers’ needs.

Research shows a Decline in High-Paying Remote and Hybrid Jobs

A recent research by Ladders, a job board for high earners, revealed that nearly none of the remote/hybrid jobs paying more than $250,000 per year are still available. The research shows that high-paying remote job availability fell by almost 60% in the past year, while hybrid work opportunities ironically declined by 95%.

The research findings were fact-checked by The National Desk, which added that the trend isn't limited to high-income positions. A further look at LinkedIn's insightful Global State of Remote and Hybrid Work report shows that the number of applications for remote jobs is almost double the number of available positions. In addition, LinkedIn's report indicates that the number of remote job postings has dropped by 23% compared to the previous year.

Office Attendance VS Occasional Gatherings to Drive Team Connection

Going on with summarizing Team Anywhere Lab's research, we review the results of an experiment to find out what drives team connection in distributed work environments.

This research focuses on the impact of Intentional Team Gatherings held at Atlassian's global offices, lasting 3-5 days. These gatherings are designed to foster relationships through social activities, team-building exercises, and collaborative projects.

The study tracked the effectiveness of these gatherings through surveys conducted before and after the events. Participants rated statements on a 1 to 5 scale, assessing team connection, individual-team alignment, and time allocated for idea development.?

Results indicated that team gatherings significantly improved collaboration, with team connection scores increasing by an average of 27%. A more detailed look into the results shows that new hires and recent graduates experienced the most significant benefits. New graduates showed a substantial increase in team connection, with 96% feeling connected post-gathering, up from 74% prior.

The team connection scores returned to pre-gathering levels after about four months, suggesting that the optimal frequency for such gatherings is every four months. Similarly, the connection levels for new hires and graduates also returned to pre-gathering levels within the same timeframe.

Wrap-up

This wraps up the fourth edition of The Remote Work Weekly. I hope it was informative, insightful, and entertaining :).

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See you next week!

Amr