The state of remote work in 2022 & your need-to-know

To kick off 2022, we’re turning to the data. Thoughts on the state of remote work,

Return to office vs. work from home. What do the people want?

As we enter year three of pandemic-related work arrangements, companies around the globe are still trying to lock in return-to-office plans. Last year Delta created chaos for return-to-office plans everywhere, causing many companies to postpone reopening plans to early 2022.?

Thanks to Omicron, workplace reunions have?stalled once again. Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has historically been Team Return to Office, recently changed his tune by?delaying return plans indefinitely. In a distinct shift from Cook’s contentious anti-remote work plan, Apple is offering employees $1,000 for a home office refresh.

It’s time to accept the new reality: for many workplaces, the 5-day commute is a thing of the past as flexible, hybrid arrangements become the norm.

Flexible is the future

Some notable takeaways from this new normal:

Employees feel more productive working from home.?

Remote work doesn’t mean less work

Remote meetings aren’t so bad

What comes to mind when you think of a Zoom meeting?

Remote workers miss the social aspect of the office

They also miss work-related social events

Most employees want to work from the office 2 or 3 days per week.?

Remote workers miss the social aspect of the office.?

Most employees are happy working from home forever.?

A flexible, hybrid work arrangement is ideal for most

Remote work brings families closer

Perceptions of remote work differ around the world

Married people work longer hours from home

Statistics on the future of the office

Remote work is here to stay. Many jobs can be done from home, and massive swaths of the workforce are already working remotely. The majority of work-from-home employees would prefer to stay remote indefinitely, at least a few days a week. As the great, global WFH experiment continues, one thing is clear: the future of the office looks a lot different now than it did pre-pandemic.

Stats on remote work, productivity, and the bottom line

Remote work isn’t just good for employees; it also has a positive impact on the bottom line. According to recent work-from-home statistics, remote work is more cost-effective for employees and businesses alike.

This gives companies strong incentives to adopt or expand their remote workforces, and pretty much guarantees remote work will enjoy a place in the global landscape for the foreseeable future.

50% of the global workforce works from outside the company office at least 2.5 days per week?(IWG) .

62% of businesses around the world have a flexible workspace policy?(IWG) .

Productivity improves with remote work.

94% of employers report that productivity has been the same or better since implementing remote work?(CNN) .

The highest percentage of productive employees in 2019 (before remote work) was 79%. The highest percentage of productive employees in 2020 (after remote work) was 87%?Great Place to Work) .

76% of employees avoid the office when they need to get important work done?(Atlassian) .

Many believe this trend will continue.

70% of people say they believe workers will never return to the office at pre-pandemic rates?(BBC) .

92% of employees expect to continue working from home at least one time per week and 80% of employees expect to do so at least three times per week?(Owl Labs) .

An estimated 73% of all departments will have remote workers by 2028?(Fundera) .

For the majority of employees, this trend toward remote work is welcome news.

Over 97% of remote employees say they would like to continue working remotely, at least part-time, for the rest of their career?(Buffer) .

98.3% of remote workers would recommend working remotely?(Buffer) .

56% of women and 52% of men would like to indefinitely work from home all or most of the time?(Pew Research) .

Remote employees see significant savings as well.

Half-time remote employees save between $600 and $6,000 per year in commuting costs, after accounting for home energy and food?Global Workplace Analytics) .

Remote workers save an average of $4,523 per year in fuel alone?(Airtasker) .

Half-time remote employees save 11 workdays per year in commuting time?(Global Workplace Analytics) .

Full-time remote workers save 17 workdays per year in commuting time?(Airtasker) .

The work-from-home employee experience

Not only are remote employees less expensive and more productive, but if work-from-home statistics are to be believed, they’re happier too.

Overall, remote workers report a positive employee experience, job satisfaction, and work-life balance.

57% of remote employees say they are satisfied with their jobs, compared to 50% of in-office workers who report job satisfaction?(Flexjobs) .

75% of employees who work remotely say they are well situated to work from home?(Pew Research) .

66% of employees who have transitioned to remote work say their work lives are about the same as before they transitioned to remote work?(Pew Research) .

30% of employees say they are more engaged in their work when working from home?(Becker Friedman Institute) .

65% of remote workers say remote work has positively impacted their work-life balance?(LiveCareer) .

Remote employees exercise 25 minutes more each week than non-remote employees?(Airtasker) .

Remote work affects employee relations, too.

68% of hiring managers report that remote work is going more smoothly now than when they first transitioned?(Upwork) .

If offered the chance to work remotely, 80% of employees would feel like their employer cares?(Owl Labs) .

66% of remote employees report they would be less happy if they were no longer allowed to work from home?(Owl Labs) .

Of those same employees, 54% would be less willing to go the extra mile.?(Owl Labs) .

But it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

43% of employees worry that working remotely will impact their career progression?(Owl Labs) .

50% of remote workers say they don’t get as much feedback as they did when they worked in the office?(LiveCareer) .

78% of remote employees would like more training from their employers?(TalentLMS) .

Remote work struggles

There’s a lot of good news when it comes to remote work. But it’s not all good news. For many companies, moving to a remote workforce brings up new struggles that weren’t an issue in the traditional workplace.

Security is one major concern.

90% of IT professionals believe remote work poses a security risk?(OpenVPN) .

54% of IT professionals believe remote workers pose a greater security risk than onsite employees?(OpenVPN) .

And many remote workers struggle with at least some aspects of working from home.

42% of remote workers younger than 50 say they struggle with feeling motivated to do their work?(Pew Research) .

38% of remote workers younger than 50 say they struggle to get their work done without interruptions?(Pew Research) .

50% of parents who work remotely say it’s difficult to work without interruptions?(Pew Research) .

About 4 in 10 mothers say it’s now harder to balance work and family responsibilities?(Pew Research) .

27% of remote employees say their biggest struggle is unplugging at the end of the workday?(Buffer) .

16% rate loneliness as their biggest work-from-home struggle?(Buffer) .

Many remote employees say there is more their company can do to support them.

80% of remote employees would consider leaving their job for a company that focused more on employees’ mental health?(LiveCareer) .

Remote employee’s list as their top picks for employment perks: office furniture stipend; lunch delivery allowance; choice of a training course; streaming service subscription; office supply gift basket?(TalentLMS) .

80% of remote employees say their employer does not pay for their home internet?(Buffer) .

61% of remote workers feel additional training would enable them to perform better in their role?(TalentLMS) .

87% of remote employees would be more likely to complete training if they were allowed dedicated time for it during their working hours?(TalentLMS) .

Communication in the remote work universe

As we’ve already learned, transitioning to remote work presents some communication hurdles. And we’ve hopped many of those hurdles with communication and?online collaboration tools .

Staying connected with co-workers is one of those hurdles. Many employees use the same communication tools they use for work collaboration to also stay connected to their co-workers on a less professional level.

The lesson for HR professionals and executives is that it’s worth investing time and money to help employees stay connected.

?This investment keeps employees engaged and helps teams continue to feel like teams despite rarely — if ever — working in the office together.

People use video meetings 50% more than they did in 2019?(Owl Labs) .

65% of remote workers say online communication and collaboration tools are a good substitute for in-person contact?(Pew Research) .

63% of remote workers feel fine with the amount of time they spend on video calls or online conferencing?(Pew Research) .

79% of employees feel that video conferencing is more productive than meeting in person?(Owl Labs) .

30% of employees enjoy video conferencing more than meeting in person?(Owl Labs) .

81% of employees “Sometimes” or “Often” use video calling or online conferencing tools to keep in touch with co-workers?(Pew Research) .

57% of employees “Sometimes” or “Often” keep in touch with co-workers with instant messaging tools?(Pew Research) .

For some workers, remote communication remains a challenge.

16% of remote workers struggle with communication and collaboration?(Buffer) .

7% struggle with being in a different time zone than teammates?(Buffer) .

Video meetings leave something to be desired.

Employees report the most common problems in video meetings are:

Interruptions and being talked over (62%).

Background distractions from other participants (59%).

Staying focused (57%).

Video meeting audio quality (57%).

Video meeting video quality (56%).

Internet speed or connectivity (52%).

Stats on recruiting and retaining a remote workforce

With all of the changes, struggles, and victories in the world of remote work, recruiters and talent management professionals still have a big job ahead of them. Finding — and keeping — top employees is no longer as simple as it used to be.

The Great Resignation looms large.

26% of workers plan to look for a new job post-pandemic?(NY Times) .

80% of those planning to find new jobs are doing so because of concerns about career growth?(NY Times) .

75% of those planning to find new jobs are changing jobs because the pandemic made them rethink their skill sets?(NY Times) .

Companies will have to work harder to hire and retain top talent.

If they were required to return to the office, 46% of employees say they would look for a new job that allows them to work from home?(Owl Labs) .

44% would expect a pay increase?(Owl Labs) . When presented with two similar job offers, 4 out of 5 employees would turn down the one that didn’t allow for flexible working?(IWG) .

72% of talent professionals say offering remote work options will be very important in the future of recruiting and HR?(LinkedIn) .

For many workers, flexibility and remote options remain top of mind.

When asked why they want to work remotely over the long term, people listed as their top reasons:

Avoiding their commute (79%).

Reducing stress in their lives (74%).

Having more time with their families and a better work-life balance (72%).

Staying productive and focused when working from home (70%)?(Owl Labs) .

Flexible work options aren’t the only benefit employees value.

When choosing a new employer, the majority of workers consider these factors most important:

Health insurance (88%)

Total compensation (87%)

Vacation policy (76%)

Work schedule flexibility (55%)

Work location flexibility (49%)

Employee wellness programs (44%)

Payment for education and training (37%)

Student loan payment (19%)

Onsite or subsidized child care (18%)?(Owl Labs)

But if companies do offer remote work, the dividends can be far-reaching.

74% of employees say they would be less likely to leave their employer if offered a remote work option?(Owl Labs) .

71% would be more likely to recommend their employer to a friend?(Owl Labs) .

59% would be more likely to choose an employer for their next job if the employer offered remote work?(Owl Labs) .

Key takeaways for HR, recruiters, and company leadership

If you’re in HR or company leadership, keep our remote work statistics top of mind as you retain and recruit. The workforce has spoken. Here’s what they want from you:

Offer options to work from home indefinitely. A hybrid approach with 2 to 3 days of remote work each week is a popular option.

Give remote employees opportunities to advance their careers. This is a concern for many WFH employees. Communicate these opportunities up front so everyone at the company knows remote workers will have avenues for upward mobility, even if they never return to the office. Establish procedures for regularly giving feedback to remote employees. Consistent feedback is one of the first things to fall by the wayside when transitioning to remote work. And employees want feedback.

Avoid increasing or implementing new activity monitoring for remote employees. Employees are clear about this. They really don’t like the idea of activity monitoring; they want you to trust them.

Offer training opportunities for remote employees. And get their input on the most beneficial types of training.

Invest in the right tools for remote communication. Don’t rely entirely on email, messaging, and Zoom meetings. Find new ways to engage your people and strengthen your teams — no matter where they work.