If you're committed to staying remote through this potential recession...

The difficult talent market that has dominated the past year or so, in which Americans quit their jobs at rates never seen before and employees enjoyed unprecedented bargaining power may be coming to a close. Announcements of slowed hiring plans from large companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google and layoffs have indicated that the impending recession many have feared may be coming to fruition. According to a recent article in Bloomberg, Industries such as tech, finance, and real estate are poised to see the biggest layoffs in a downturn.?

However, even if the country is thrown into a full recession, there are still roughly two open jobs for every unemployed American. The demand for these workers is unlikely to disappear overnight.

Nonetheless, a recession still begs the question, are the pandemic-era shifts in work, including remote working, flexible hours, and hybrid workplaces coming to an end? If a recession pauses hiring plans and employees no longer have the leverage they’ve enjoyed for the past year, will companies insist they return to the office? With these questions in mind, it’s important to prepare yourself for a few different scenarios.

If you’re hoping to continue working remotely but are starting to worry that your company may ask you back to the office full-time, do your best to showcase how you have been an effective remote worker. If your company is considering having employees return to the office, they’re likely worried about two things: productivity and team connection. Be proactive by staying connected to your manager, asking questions, and sharing what you’re working on and the progress you’re making. Consider keeping a master document of all the work you’re doing and what you’re spending your time on. You should also openly communicate the reasoning behind wanting to keep your remote flexibility. If avoiding your morning commute has increased your productivity or allowed you to eat breakfast with your family, express that. Having these conversations can increase your chance of finding a compromise, going to your office some days and working remotely on others.?

On the flip side, if your current job is mandating a full-time return to the office and is adverse to the possibility of a flexible schedule that you may need or prefer, there are a few critical considerations to keep in mind when searching for new opportunities amidst an impending recession:

1. Look for companies with a heavily remote workforce. Rather than be one of few remote employees at a largely in-person company, look for opportunities in companies who have a strong, established remote culture.?
2. Consider the industry. Going into a recession, look for a job opportunity in a more stable industry. Industries like retail, entertainment, and hospitality have been notoriously shaky in past recessions, whereas industries like banking, financial services, or health services often don’t see big fluctuations in business or demand.?
3. Evaluate the company. Some of the best remote work champions are tech startups, but it’s hardly a recession-proof industry. Opt for companies that aren’t reliant on consistent rounds of funding, or in a very volatile space where layoffs have been more common. It would also be wise to avoid the pandemic boom stocks, companies whose businesses were inflated by the pandemic. Instead, look for companies who are profitable, and in a business that has consistent demand even in a recession.
4. Look for cues that remote work is there to stay. Has the company given up office space? Is their leadership working remotely? When you interview at the company, make note of whether or not people are in the office or at home.
5. Be honest. Share with the hiring manager that you’re happy working remotely and would like to continue to do so. Ask them if they have plans to return to an office, and keep looking if they do. There are plenty of companies allowing workers to work remotely indefinitely and if you have no plan on returning to an office, you should hold out for an opportunity to work at one of them.?

In a McKinsey report from this year, 58% of Americans reported they were able to work from home at least one day a week, and 35% reported they were able to work from home five days a week. These respondents worked in all kinds of jobs and sectors, and at all levels. While some traditionally “blue collar” jobs reported having opportunities to work from home, McKinsey found that workers who are younger, more educated, and have higher incomes tended to have more opportunities to work remotely. The most noteworthy figure, however, was that given the opportunity to work flexibly, 87% of survey respondents said they would take it.?

The fact of the matter is, Americans like remote work. A lot. You aren’t alone in your desire to stay remote and it’s unlikely that a recession will eliminate the gains that remote workers have made over the past two and a half years.