Introduction
It’s safe to say that 2024 was a big year. If we want it to sound more epic, we can add it’s when the big battle between (fully) remote work and RTO (return to the office) policy began. While some companies were trying to go back to pre-pandemic life and justify the office rent expenses, more and more employees realised the importance of work-life balance for mental health.
Keep on reading, as in this article we’ll dive deeper into the trends and patterns 2024 drew for both employers and employees.
What happened to workplaces in 2024
The Flex Index has recently issued a report tracing all the patterns in the workforce over the past year. And they’re sure of one thing: "Over the last 15+ months of tracking flexible work trends, we've witnessed a broad spectrum of policy types and moves.” Let’s go over some data and see how the professional world looked like in the past year.
Remote work 2024 trends by industry
Let’s see which industries are most flexible. Let’s take a look at how things are among companies in the US. There’s no surprise that the tech industry is most passionate about adopting the remote work model.
On the other hand, according to the same report, the least flexible industries are Restaurants & Food Services, Education, Hospitality, Retail & Apparel, and Manufacturing & Logistics. Again, no surprise here - the essence of these industries rarely allows for working from the comfort of your favourite reading chair.
The rise of hybrid work models
While remote work started as a solution to a global pandemic problem, it has found a way to cement itself as a preferred work model for over 70% of people. When we break it down, we see that 32% of employees prefer a fully remote work model, 41% would choose a hybrid work setup, and only 27% want to work full-time on-site - thanks to Quantum workplace for the study and the data.
Let’s go through Remote’s 2024 Global Workforce Report. One of the key findings of the document is that over 70% of companies have embraced a remote work policy. One thing is sure for both Europe and the USA - companies are given the chance to dab into a wider, global talent pool and this is evident in their expansion. 73% of surveyed companies are increasing their workforce numbers, relying on the candidates from all over the world, various contractors and freelancers.
Embracing some kind of remote work model has also contributed to reducing office space - almost 30% of companies have managed to cut down on office space, which helps reduce costs.
Employee productivity in fully remote or hybrid work environment
Remote’s 2024 Global Workforce Report shows that working in an office is not a must for productivity - turns out flexible work models boost productivity for 45.4% of companies. Flexibility is also key in employee retention - as many as 73% of organizations admit they have lost people to competitors that offer more flexibility. And speaking of benefits companies offer…
More flexibility for remote workers
Over 44% of hiring leaders who took part in Remote’s survey admit flexibility is very important when it comes to candidates evaluating job offers. 26% say it’s extremely important. So, how to keep these employees happy and engaged?
- A little over 60% of companies offer flexible work hours
- Almost 33% of companies offer part-time work options
- Almost 28% of companies support work from anywhere policy
How will the global workforce look in the future
Well, dear readers, you’ll have to wait for our next article to find out. Keep an eye out on our blog to be among the first to take a sneak peek at the future.
Conclusion
2024 was an important year for remote workers and companies and it set the stage for an even more interesting turn of events in the future. One thing is for sure - employees will continue to push for more flexibility in their professional life. And if some companies remain opposed to this trend, there’re plenty of others that will gladly expand their teams with remote workers from all over the world.
FAQs
Why is remote work ending?
Remote work is not ending, it’s still a preferred work model for 32% of employees. On top of that, industry reports show that over 70% of companies on a global level have embraced a remote work policy.
Is it possible to work fully remotely?
Whether you can work fully remotely or not generally depends on the industry. Some industries, such as technology, insurance, media & entertainment, telecommunications and financial services allow for far more flexibility. Add the fact that over 70% of companies on a global level have embraced a remote work policy, we can say that yes, it is possible to work fully remotely.
Are remote workers happier?
According to industry data, 65% of remote workers are extremely satisfied with their jobs, compared to just 34% of office-based employees.
