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My first advertising job was as a contract author for an company on the alternative aspect of the world. This additionally occurred to be my first “actual” job and, consequently, my first expertise of distant work.
Since then, I’ve labored with a number of different corporations throughout a number of time zones and, in consequence, skilled every part distant work has to supply — from the challenges of organising a house workplace to the fun of location independence.
However extra importantly, I’ve additionally gotten to consciously observe the expansion and influence of distant work over time.
On this submit, I’ll be sharing 60 statistics that will help you perceive the evolution, alternatives, and challenges this distinctive mode of labor presents.
Every part is designed to offer extra than simply statistics and as an alternative give you a cohesive, research-backed narrative on every sub-topic.
Desk of Contents
The Introduction and Evolution of Distant Work
How Corporations Have Responded to Distant Work
Why Employees Want Distant Work
The Enterprise Affect of Distant Work
Collaboration in a Distant Work Setting
Challenges of Distant Work
The Introduction and Evolution of Distant Work
In keeping with Hubspot, the preferred work mannequin right now is a hybrid mannequin, which is most well-liked by 41% of workers. That is adopted by the totally distant work mannequin (32%), and, lastly, on-site work (27%). Nonetheless, apparently, earlier than 2020, most workers had totally on-site jobs with no rapid plans to modify to various fashions. So, what modified?
The 2020 lockdown mandated a whole shift to distant work throughout most industries, introducing many to distant work for the primary time. Consequently, an Owl Labs survey discovered that this expertise led to 70% of workers wanting to keep up a hybrid or distant working association even post-pandemic.
By 2021, an Accenture research discovered that 83% of worldwide employees considered this hybrid mannequin of labor (a mixture of distant and on-site work) as ultimate.
As time went on, employee preferences saved evolving. A 2022 research discovered that the most well-liked working kinds shifted a bit from the earlier yr. Distant work was favored by 34% in 2021 however dropped to 29% in 2022. Hybrid work went from 31% to 36%, and in-office work went from 29% to 22%.
Breaking it down by gender, ladies appeared to favor distant work extra (46%) over males (39%). Alternatively, in-office work appeared extra interesting to males, with 24% preferring it in comparison with 19% of ladies.
This research additionally discovered that round 29% of employees modified jobs, with distant employees being twice as possible (37%) to modify in comparison with these working in an workplace (21%). The highest causes for altering jobs had been higher pay (84%), higher profession alternatives (82%), and higher work/life steadiness (78%).
However what was much more attention-grabbing was that in response to members within the research, if the choice to work remotely of their present jobs was taken away, 66% stated they’d begin on the lookout for a job that supplied extra flexibility, whereas 39% stated they’d merely stop.
Equally, one other 2022 survey discovered that 63% of employees would select a greater work-life steadiness over higher pay.
And these sentiments weren’t short-term. A 2022 research by Buffer discovered that 98% of respondents needed to work remotely in some capability for the remainder of their careers.
Equally, one other research discovered that 88% of employees thought of hybrid work as a number one profit they’d anticipate in a brand new job.
Distant work choices had been so positively acquired that only one% of members in a research by Buffer reported having a destructive expertise with distant work.
Moreover, the research additionally discovered that 98% of distant employees would suggest distant work to others.
Research proceed to constantly present that many employees choose a distant or hybrid association over on-site work. As an example, Atlassian’s State of Work research confirmed a notable shift within the preferences of distant, office-only, and hybrid employees between 2021 and 2022: 22% in 2022 versus 34% in 2021, 35% in 2022 versus 39% in 2021, and 43% in 2022 versus 27% in 2021, respectively.
Total, the hybrid mannequin of distant work seems to be the blissful medium between employees and employers, with 45.5% of distant employees having hybrid preparations in comparison with 20.5% who work totally from residence, in response to a January 2023 survey.
How Corporations Have Responded to Distant Work
Earlier than the 2020 shutdown, simply 8% of corporations had versatile office insurance policies.
By 2021, practically two-thirds (62%) had carried out some stage of versatile work. Mid-size corporations (501-5,000 workers) particularly, had been significantly proactive, with 70% implementing versatile work insurance policies.
Nonetheless, employer sentiments towards distant work continued to evolve. That very same yr, a report by OwlLabs discovered that 73% of those that labored from residence in the course of the pandemic finally returned to the workplace a minimum of at some point per week.
In actuality, whereas 74% of corporations promised some stage of flexibility in work schedules on the time, 82% had been additionally planning a return to pre-pandemic work schedules after the lockdown.
By 2022, the State of Distant Work report discovered that solely 31% of employers had been providing totally distant working choices, with 41% of small corporations (10-50 workers) requiring workers to return to the workplace.
So, the place precisely does that depart us right now? It truthfully will depend on who you ask. On one hand, 58% of members in a McKinsey survey reported having the chance to make money working from home a minimum of at some point per week.
Alternatively, a number of research have discovered that distant work is the exception and never the norm. In keeping with a research by Accenture, as of 2022, 36% of employees worldwide had returned to a completely on-site work mannequin throughout all industries.
One other survey by Atlassian additionally revealed that 82% of all information employees had some type of “in-office mandate,” whereas 25% of employees who supposedly had the selection to work remotely nonetheless felt stress to enter the workplace.
Lastly, a 2022 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey discovered that solely 27.5% of personal sector companies (2.5 million) had workers teleworking all or a number of the time.
So, how can we interpret this seemingly conflicting information? Properly, all views could have advantage. By inspecting every business individually somewhat than collectively, the info aligns higher.
The identical research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics discovered that skilled and enterprise providers, academic providers, and wholesale commerce boasted the very best proportion of teleworkers at 67.4%, 49%, 46%, and 39%, respectively. This implies that distant work alternatives are merely extra prevalent in sure industries, and research outcomes will usually differ relying on the business surveyed.
Why Employees Want Distant Work
For a lot of employees, the enchantment of distant work lies in its flexibility. In keeping with Hubspot’s Hybrid Work Report, 90% of workers are coping with some stage of burnout and imagine that flexibility, particularly in taking day off, might considerably cut back their stress ranges.
However flexibility is not nearly once you work. In keeping with findings from a Buffer research, the largest distant work advantages for employees embrace having the ability to handle their time (22%), select the place they dwell (19%), and determine the place they work (13%).
Atlassian’s analysis gives additional perception, displaying that the first motive US information employees choose distant work is that they’re merely happier working from residence (47%).
However past happiness and adaptability, distant employees additionally report larger productiveness ranges. In keeping with a research by Owl Labs, a big majority (62%) of employees really feel extra productive when working remotely, in comparison with simply 11% who really feel much less productive.
A Buffer research additionally discovered that 70% of employees discover it simpler to focus, 65% handle stress higher, and 50% keep away from distractions higher when working remotely.
Lastly, whereas the workplace is seen as the most efficient setting for sure actions, equivalent to assembly new folks (59%), managing others (51%), and staff conferences (51%), employees are break up on the place they like to innovate and brainstorm. Some thrive within the workplace (39%), whereas others appear to seek out their movement higher at residence (37%).
The Enterprise Affect of Distant Work
Distant work, whether or not totally distant or hybrid, usually incurs bills that aren’t sometimes related to conventional work fashions. In keeping with findings from Buffer’s State of Distant Work Report, 64% of workers indicated that their corporations paid for {hardware} equivalent to screens, whereas 40% reported that their corporations lined prices related to residence workplace tools.
Apparently, residence web, which is arguably probably the most essential distant work device, is solely lined by 28% of corporations.
One other further distant working value corporations usually must cowl is coworking memberships. 22% of respondents within the Buffer survey indicated that their corporations cowl their memberships, whereas 38% expressed a want for his or her corporations to take action.
Now, apart from worker bills, companies additionally want to think about how distant work may have an effect on profitability. For instance, HubSpot’s 2024 State of Gross sales Report revealed that 46% of salespeople understand promoting remotely as much less efficient than in-person gross sales.
So, what does this imply? Is distant work merely an added expense with no actual advantages to the underside line? Quite the opposite, distant work additionally presents main monetary advantages. In keeping with a research by IWG, greater than four-fifths of Chief Monetary Officers (CFOs) (82%) imagine that distant work, particularly in a hybrid format, is a cheaper enterprise mannequin in comparison with conventional workplace setups.
This line of considering is supported by findings from International Office Analytics, which means that hybrid working preparations can save organizations greater than $11,000 per worker yearly on common.
However how precisely does distant work ship value financial savings for corporations? Firstly, there’s the potential for substantial financial savings on workplace lease. The IWG research discovered that two-thirds (65%) of CFOs purpose to cut back facility spending by greater than 10% per yr.
Equally, one other research discovered that 60% of U.S. executives plan to cut back workplace area by as much as half or extra.
The rationale behind these cost-saving measures is obvious. By eliminating or considerably lowering workplace area necessities, corporations can keep away from committing to costly, long-term leases, alter their area necessities as wanted, and revel in large value financial savings. As an example, Cisco’s adoption of hybrid working practices has resulted in financial savings of $500 million over the previous 5 years.
However there’s extra to it than simply saving on workplace prices. Employee prices alone reveal an attention-grabbing development. An Owl Labs research discovered that greater than half of all employees (52%) can be keen to just accept a pay reduce of 5% or extra in change for the pliability to decide on their working location. In truth, 23% indicated they’d settle for a pay reduce of 10% or extra for this profit.
Conversely, if employees had been not allowed to work remotely or in a hybrid setup, 67% would anticipate a pay enhance to cowl further commuting bills.
Lastly, past value issues, latest analysis performed by IWG and Arup revealed that hybrid working has the potential to cut back city carbon emissions by 70% within the UK and as much as 87% within the U.S.. These findings recommend that the environmental influence of totally distant work could possibly be substantial for companies that select to undertake distant work fashions.
Collaboration in a Distant Work Setting
In keeping with a latest HubSpot survey, the primary ache level for corporations within the distant work period is disconnected programs. Particularly, the survey discovered that the highest downside for distant corporations appears to be difficulties with communication and collaboration between groups.
However why is that this an issue? One potential motive could possibly be how distributed groups are these days. For instance, Buffer’s State of Distant Work survey discovered that 74% of respondents labored in corporations that function throughout a number of time zones. Moreover, over half of the distant employees (62%) in that research reported having folks of their rapid groups distributed throughout a number of time zones.
This distributed setup impacts how distant groups collaborate. At the moment, collaboration primarily happens via messaging apps (50%), emails (22%), and conferences (19%), with video calls being the most typical for conferences. Apparently, solely about one-third (36%) of employers have upgraded their video assembly expertise since 2020.
For digital conferences particularly, a Buffer research discovered that when taking conferences, most distant employees choose to be on digital camera. When requested why, 67% of members felt it was simpler to speak after they might see somebody’s expression.
That stated, not all conferences are considered favorably by distant employees. A research by HubSpot revealed that 70% of workers discover too many calls and conferences disruptive to their focus. Moreover, 58% really feel that a minimum of half of the conferences they attend might have been dealt with via emails as an alternative.
Furthermore, the identical research additionally discovered that e-mail was the popular communication platform for a majority of respondents (39%) when requested to decide on one platform for the upcoming yr.
On the aspect of the organizations, a number of research have proven that employers are additionally taking measures to make sure seamless collaboration amongst distant groups. A 2022 research discovered that roughly half (50%) of employers have offered coaching to managers on managing distant and hybrid groups.
Equally, a HubSpot research discovered that 32% of workers who participated of their Hybrid Work survey had acquired tips on utilizing unified communication and collaboration instruments. Moreover, 54% had acquired coaching on conducting efficient and inclusive hybrid conferences.
Lastly, a latest research additionally discovered that 37% of employers have added or elevated using worker monitoring software program, indicating a rising development in the direction of simpler monitoring and administration of distant groups.
Challenges of Distant Work
Whereas distant work presents many advantages, it additionally presents a number of challenges. For some distant employees, the wrestle lies in the isolation of staying residence too usually. One research discovered that one in three distant employees reported this as their greatest problem, with loneliness following carefully behind at 23%.
A 2022 Hubspot survey additionally discovered that 40% of distant employees reportedly miss spontaneous, in-person connections with their colleagues,
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There’s additionally the truth that not each worker thrives in a distant setting. A latest research discovered that just about half of U.S. employees really feel their groups don’t perform successfully in a hybrid setting.
Whereas this might possible be attributed to a number of causes, a 2022 research discovered that 77% of distant employees who felt much less productive attributed this to elevated distractions at residence, which is comprehensible contemplating that 45% of distant employees make the most of multi-purpose areas, equivalent to bedrooms or kitchens, for work.
Separating work and private life will also be troublesome in a distant setting. In a single research, 81% of distant employees admitted to checking work emails exterior of workplace hours, with 63% doing so on weekends and 34% whereas on trip. Furthermore, 48% usually labored past conventional hours, with 44% reporting elevated work hours in comparison with the earlier yr.
One other research additionally discovered that just about half (45%) of employees report a rise in work-related stress over the previous yr.
Lastly, one other main problem for distant work adoption appears to be office perceptions. One research discovered that 49% of employees really feel that managers view in-office workers as tougher working and extra reliable than distant counterparts.
Equally, one other research discovered that 10% of workers worry being perceived as much less productive or dedicated in the event that they work remotely.
Navigating The Distant Work Panorama
Whereas distant work presents new and distinctive challenges, with the precise strategy and understanding, it might probably result in extra productive and satisfying working preparations for each workers and employers.
Whether or not you‘re contemplating your first distant function or hiring distant staff members, it’s essential to maintain the stats above in thoughts because the world continues to evolve and embrace flexibility.
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