A new study from Zapier lays out just how overwhelmingly necessary a remote work model has become for businesses.
It is not surprising that hybrid and remote work opportunities have become increasingly popular in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the fact that 61% of Americans would quit their current roles for remote opportunities may still come as a shock to some. New findings from Zapier details just how far employees will go to secure the right to work from home, including the reasons why going into the office is a deal breaker for many.
It was found by Zapier that 32% of employees said they have already quit a job due to being forced to physically be in an office setting. Affording workers the ability to be more productive and achieve better flexibility in their remote work settings has become an overwhelming draw for employees. Consequently, the data backs up what these members of the workforce are wanting as well, as 64% of respondents in remote work opportunities said they became more productive, and are seeking the work-life balance that stems from working at home.
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What’s most important to employees in 2022?
When separated into groups, it becomes staggeringly clear that all workers are in overwhelming support of being able to work from home. Some might assume that older members of the workforce became so used to being in-office during their many years of service that these employees would want to return as soon as possible, but the opposite is actually true.
Of those who responded, 87.5% of workers aged 45 years and older said they would quit their current role for a fully remote opportunity as well, making it a priority for enterprises to rethink their work flexibility and how it aligns with the wants and needs of job seekers. The full breakdown of those wishing to go fully remote is as follows:
- 100% of respondents ages 18-24
- 64% of respondents ages 25 -34
- 65% of respondents ages 35-44
- 87.5% of respondents ages 45-54
- 50% of respondents ages 54+
Due to the flexible nature of enterprises largely moving toward work from home in 2020, many employees also saw their happiness outside of their jobs grow as well. Over 60% of respondents said that being able to operate outside of the office increased their savings, provided them the ability to attend to family life and improved their morale overall as well.
It is more important than ever that businesses look for ways to attract new workers and retain their existing ones, and one of the easiest ways to do that with the large-scale integration of virtual meeting options such as Zoom and WebEx is to advertise that the organization is open to this level of flexibility for its employees.