As we pass the milestone of a full year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, one upside is that trends have emerged that shed light on remote work best practices. Upwork’s newly released “One Year of Remote Work” Report—which surveyed 1,000 hiring managers about key learnings in the past year when many companies have been 100% remote—is one such resource that employers can turn to for guidance.
The top takeaways of the study highlight some tried and true points about working from home, including the fact that that working remotely improves productivity and that it saves time and money. Other findings were more specific to the new way of working that the COVID-19 era has created, which aren’t likely to go away anytime soon.
Upwork reported that the general concept of remote work is not the same thing as remote work during a pandemic. What’s more, the study found remote work has also opened the door to effective hybrid teams—a setup that many managers previously feared wouldn’t work well.
Here are some thoughts on what these findings mean for employers.
Remote Work Boosts Productivity
Upwork found that nearly a third (32.2%) of hiring managers felt that overall productivity had risen as of late April 2020 at the start of the pandemic. By November, a follow-up survey from Upwork found nearly 70% said it was going better than when people were first sent home to work.
It’s not surprising since countless studies have shown working remotely makes employees more productive. In 2020, FlexJobs found that more than half of our survey respondents indicated much higher productivity while working from home during COVID-19.
Here’s what FlexJob survey respondents say helps them get more done out of the office:
- Unlimited job posts
- Low, flat membership fee
- Access top-level remote advice
- Unlimited resume searches
- Reach the right candidates
- And so much more!
- Getting interrupted less frequently
- Having more time to focus
- A quieter work setting
- Being more comfortable for working
- Not wasting time on office politics.
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And this was true before the pandemic, too, suggesting that the productivity benefit for employers won’t go away post-COVID. In 2019, FlexJobs found that 65% of respondents felt more productive in a home office than in a traditional office space. Almost none—3%—felt less productive working from home.
Remote Work Brings Cost Savings and Time Savings
The Upwork research validated another remote-work truism: working from home saves time and money for employers and employees alike. Upwork found that in a single year, the average person saved more than nine days and over $4,300 working from home for a simple reason: they no longer had commuting costs and didn’t have to waste time getting back and forth to work.
This new finding is in line with previous research by FlexJobs, where we reported that the average person could save about $4,000 a year by working remotely. The expenses of working in an office such as work clothes and eating out, along with car-related costs, are reduced or eliminated with remote work and quickly add up to the four figures.
Remote Work During a Pandemic Differs From Standard Remote Work
As Upwork said in its study: “Too often this year, remote work critics conflated the effects of the pandemic with the impact of remote work. Parents, for example, have likely had to balance work with interruptions from children. This is not a product of remote work, but rather a result of many schools having been closed due to COVID.”
The report pointed out that post-pandemic, there will be fewer interruptions at home if kids and spouses are back at school and offices. Even during COVID-19, workers reported fewer interruptions (68%), a quieter work environment (68%), and more focused time (63%) while working remotely.
Remote Work Has Enabled More Hybrid Teams
While many employers feared virtual working wouldn’t work out and expressed a strong preference for keeping everyone in the office, the trial-by-fire experiment of remote work for countless organizations has led to a change of understanding—and heart—about the effectiveness of hybrid teams, according to Upwork.
Remote Work Is Worth It
Though many employers came reluctantly to remote work and hybrid teams, the successful deployment of both by necessity in 2020 has positioned many companies to continue with these workable solutions that improve productivity, save resources, and help businesses run more effectively.
If you’re ready to make the integrate remote work, FlexJobs can help. We’ve been a leader in remote work since 2007 and partner with companies of every size, providing them with support and guidance along the way. For expert advice, reach out today.
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