68% of U.S. Employees Prefer Remote Work Over In-Person Work
If 2020 saw the rapid rise and adoption of remote work in the US, 2021 sees companies and workers alike grappling with the resulting changes. However, findings indicate remote work is the way of the future — at least from the employees' perspective.
GoodHire, a background check provider in Redwood City, California, revealed in its first State of Remote Work survey that 32% of US employees prefer in-office work, while 68% would rather work from home.
In fact, 45% of respondents said they'd either quit their job or search for a new one that offered remote work benefits if their employer ordered them to return to the office.
Most employees want to work from home three to five days a week
GoodHire's survey found that 74% of employees would need some sort of remote work setup to stay in their current job, with most respondents preferring a work-from-home (WFH) arrangement three to five days a week.
Many are willing to compromise with their employer to continue working from home:
- 61% would take a pay cut of up to 50% (a 10% drop being the most common answer for respondents)
- 70% would forfeit benefits (retirement benefits and accounts, health insurance, paid time off and gym memberships)
These findings are similar to those in recent surveys from Ivanti and Personal Capital, as these reports indicated that workers would be willing to forfeit pay raises, promotions and benefits to work from home.
With these numbers in mind, it's not surprising that 85% of GoodHire respondents believed that their colleagues — and the American workforce in general — also prefer remote work to the conventional on-site alternative.
Remote-work-averse companies may suffer for their decision
With the Great Resignation well under way, US workers unhappy with their current situation are searching for better career opportunities elsewhere.
What most of these job seekers have in common, though, is the desire to continue working from home. The GoodHire survey shows that 85% of respondents only wanted to apply for roles that offer remote flexibility. Additionally:
- Nearly 30% of respondents would "absolutely not" apply for a full-time, on-site job
- Nearly 60% of respondents would move to a new city just to avoid full-time, in-person work
Still, many employers prefer their workforce to remain on-site. A recent digital survey of small business owners found that nearly half of them believed most roles require in-person attendance — perhaps partly due to their own struggles with WFH productivity during the pandemic.
However, these companies may need to reassess their stance on remote work soon, as many workers believe they'll fall behind otherwise. In particular, respondents said companies that fail to include remote work options for their employees will:
- Lose major talent (74%)
- Struggle to get applicants (67%)
- Have to compensate by increasing starting salary offers (64%)
"Permanent remote working is the 'new normal' for many professionals, and a large proportion of companies have come to accept this fact as their new status quo," says Max Wesman, GoodHire's chief operating officer. "Our survey clearly shows that those employers resistant to this change will risk losing employees and applicants to more adaptable companies."
Methodology: GoodHire, using Pollfish, conducted an online survey of 3,500 American adults (ages 21 to 59) from July 27 to 29, 2021.
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