The pandemic has inspired many companies to rethink the expense versus the value of having brick-and-mortar locations. According to a Conference Board survey, 36% of companies are now willing to hire 100% remote workers. In contrast, only 12% were interested in that option before COVID-19. Moreover, 88% are willing to hire at least some remote workers—an increase of over 60%.
However, the shift in ideas from onsite to remote is not as huge as those figures might imply because most companies still want their employees to be within commuting distance of the home office (assuming the home office exists).
Another idea going the rounds both among employees and employers is to take back a percentage of the remote worker’s pay. A report by Owl Lads says that 31% of workers are willing to take a 5% pay cut, and 26% would take a 10% pay cut to work remotely. Deutsch Bank recently floated the idea of remote employees paying a tax to support employees who cannot work remotely.
Where does this leave you?
- Companies are still figuring out how “remote” they want their remote workers to be. You may want to consider carefully before aiming your resume on a remote job with dreams of working from some exotic location.
- Attitudes toward remote work are evolving. Assume that any remote job you take might change back into an onsite position—or vice versa—and consider whether you are flexible enough to deal with that.
- As remote becomes more prevalent, companies might treat it as a benefit rather than an accommodation to a problematic situation. Once companies see remote work as a benefit, it might lead to pay cuts, taxes, or other penalties—especially for women who often fall victim to the assumption that all women prefer to stay home with family.
At Robin’s Resumes®, we keep track of trends like these because we want to give you the best-fit resume for the job you want and the best career advice. Whether you prefer a remote work or an onsite position, rest assured that our resume will help you toward the career you deserve.