Businesses around the world are discovering the challenges and opportunities that come with a fully remote workforce. Remote work stats have indicated that flexible and virtual work environments are attractive to job seekers and give companies an edge when recruiting new hires. But it’s safe to say that there are very few companies who predicted they’d be going fully remote in 2020.
The widespread response to the COVID-19 global pandemic has meant companies have had to adapt their operations to maintain business continuity. This has involved transitioning employees out of physical offices and into new virtual workspaces in what some have called the “world’s largest work from home experiment.”
This experiment has involved setting new routines for productivity, learning better ways of communication, and avoiding the pitfalls of decentralized collaborative work environments.
But, whether you’re used to flexible WFH privileges, or just getting acquainted with taking Zoom calls in your pajamas, remote work is changing our professional lives. Below are 17 statistics on why remote working is here to stay.
What do the remote work stats tell us about the future of virtual workspaces?
Virtual offices may be new for many, but a steady upward trend of partial and full-time telecommuting has, perhaps, offered a glimpse into the future of remote work.
Although remote work vs telework is a highly debated topic, both models are likely going to become more and more popular in the future. According to Flexjobs, remote work has increased in popularity by 91% over the last decade. What’s more, 73% of teams are expected to have remote workers in their ranks by 2028, according to Upwork.
Thanks to cloud-based solutions like Wrike, a reality where workers are untethered from a physical office has been possible for many years. However, the percentage of job seekers who say WFH flexibility is an attractive incentive is on the rise — with no signs of slowing. In fact, by the time that Gen Z fully enters the workforce in 2030, the demand for remote work is expected to increase by 30%.
Some business leaders are considering a permanent shift to working from home
As global teams continue their adjustment to remote working, there are indications that the current situation is already paving the way for more permanent WFH considerations.
In a recent survey conducted by Gartner, 74% of CFOs who responded said they intended to shift at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce into “permanently remote positions post-COVID 19.” But what will it take to carry out this transition smoothly and what are the overall benefits of such plans?
For starters, building a remote work infrastructure means that companies will need to offer their employees scalable and flexible remote work management tools. Consider cloud-based solutions that integrate with other applications that teams already use. Shifting a percentage of on-site employees could also present issues around isolation and burnout, so support around mental health should be a real priority.
And what are the benefits of allowing a percentage of employees to continue working from home post-COVID?
The trends and remote work statistics are fascinating, but they tell a much larger story about how the workplace is changing and how companies will need to change with it. Find out more about the benefits of working from home for employers.
Well, the commute from bed to your home office is guaranteed to be a lot shorter than the 45-minute train journey you’re used to. Additionally, in one survey, 75% of respondents said remote work improved their work-life balance. Plus, over a third of retired respondents in another survey said they would have remained in their last jobs longer if they’d been given flexible work options.
The trends and remote work statistics are fascinating, but they tell a much larger story about how the workplace is changing and how companies will need to change with it.
Be prepared for this new future
Wrike understands the value of optimizing communication when being together in one office just isn’t possible. Newly remote teams thrive when they have a virtual workspace that allows them to collaborate, share documents, improve workflows, and remain productive from anywhere.
To find out how Wrike can help your organization transition to a fully remote operation, sign up for a free trial and get started today.
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