Parts of the U.S. are beginning to ease restrictions on social distancing as there are signs that the coronavirus is slowing, but that doesn’t mean things will ever go back to the way they were.
Time will tell what the world looks like, but we are certain of one thing: remote work is here to stay.
There have been several studies and surveys that all concluded what we already knew – that remote work is popular and this rapid shift to remote work brought on by the pandemic has shown that most of us can do our jobs effectively at home.
A new survey of more than 25,000 U.S. adults from IBM picks up on that trend:
- Nearly 40% of respondents said they feel strongly that their employer should provide the option to work remotely when the office opens up again.
- More than 75% of respondents indicated they would like to continue to work remotely at least occasionally
- 54% said they would like remote work to be their primary way of working.
However, IBM also cited a 2019 study that revealed that business leaders weren’t overly optimistic their organizations had the people skills to pull off such a transformation.
Read Next: COVID-19 Will Have a Lasting Impact on Remote Work Trends
According to that study, just 41% of CEOs surveyed said their organizations had the capability, people skills and resources to execute their business strategies.
“The shift toward a more remote workforce could require more than a simple change of location – it may require the use of soft skills to continue to be productive and successful,” according to IBM.
According to Business Insider, remote work is an attractive option because it can help employees save on housing and travel costs, which leads to more happiness in their job.
The publication in 2019 cited an Owl Labs study that found remote workers are 22% happier in their jobs than workers who always work on site.
As Business Insider points out, remote work can also help your organization save costs on facilities and infrastructure.
“But the shift to remote work might not only benefit employees but employers as well,” Business Insider reported. “Instead of leasing huge offices at high-dollar prices, employers could save money by renting smaller spaces — especially since experts predict offices will transition from a place where workers go to every day, to more of a central meeting spot for important meetings and collaborative work.”
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!
Leave a Reply