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The pandemic isn't over, but a gradual transition "back to the way things were before" is underway. However, nobody knows exactly what that will ultimately mean.
What do we know so far? Some companies have announced ultimatums to their employees to return to the office by a specific date (“Businesses tell their workforce to return to offices by Labor Day or even sooner” - USA Today 06/26). Other companies have said they are in no particular hurry to disrupt whatever equilibrium they've achieved during the last year and a half. (“Return-to-Office: A New Competitive Strategy” – Bloomberg 06/21). And still, others foresee long-term dramatic changes in employment structures that will not be back to the way things were before (“These Startups are Betting on a Remote First World” – Wired News 06/23).
Since businesses are all over the map on remote employment going forward, where does that leave the employee who grew accustomed to remote work and like the twist in lifestyle? Many people forced to adapt to remote work by circumstance now prefer it over the traditional in-the-office environment by choice -- enough to contemplate leaving their current jobs for one that is remote or partially remote if forced back in the office.
If you are in a tug-of-war over your next post-pandemic professional move and remote versus office work is a primary factor, here are some factors to consider:
1. It is too early to know whether "work-from-home" will be a regular thing. The examples above illustrate how balkanized viewpoints are on where employees should be when they do their work.
2. Many companies must still navigate re-opening strategies that benefit their business goals, culture, and staffing needs. For example, before 2020, technology companies already had more remote workers than those in other fields, so it will likely be easier for them to plan to have more remote workers post-pandemic. However, many of the same tech companies have corporate cultures they build "campuses" and "complexes" and "compounds" to promote. What do you do? Nobody is quite sure yet.
3. The recovery may be a block-by-block renovation, not an all-encompassing development. That means there may not be a universal consensus or move back to full in-the-office employment, and what happens next will happen on a company-by-company basis. If you plan to search for remote opportunities, do your homework in terms of searching specifically for work-from-home jobs, and asking the employer their plans on this topic going forward.
4. Companies that want to embrace a remote work culture are still unsure of the logistics. Five days a week? Half remote, half in-the-office? Virtual conference rooms? Companies may explore, revise, scrap, and adopt different models before determining the best way forward.
5. In this market that favors workers at the moment, companies don't quite know if they have enough power to dictate terms to their employees or if the employees have the leverage.
6. Is remote work a good idea for you? An honest assessment of your strategic career plan is warranted. Where are you in your career, and what you want to get out of it? If you are career-oriented or entrepreneur and have ambitious goals, remote work may not be your best move since the visibility and interpersonal interaction you receive by being in the office can pay professional dividends that remote work cannot. If you are early in your career and want to develop a professional network that will follow and help you throughout your work life, better achieved in person than on Zoom.
7. Where you want to live? How remote is remote? If you live in Florida but do remote work for a Texas-based company, it's not easy to simply pop into the office for a meeting. Suppose you live in a metropolitan center and you do remote work for a company across town. In that case, you're able to work from home and be in the office as necessary to bolster some of your other potential professional goals.
8. What is it that you value in your work? The work itself may give you value, and you believe that you have that experience just as much at home as in an office. You may value regular interpersonal interactions and learn more from others in person. You may be a more effective and influential worker in the office where you nail a presentation or work magic behind the scenes. Maybe it's a verifiable fact you do your best work alone. Only you can decide what the best way is.
9. Do you live in Colorado? That seems like an odd question unless you live in Colorado. Colorado recently rolled out a new law that every job posting must include the salary range. Colorado is the only one of the fifty states that have this law. It is wildly unpopular with employers from other states who feel salaries are propriety information that gives them bargaining power. As a result, many remote or semi-remote employers are accepting applications from candidates virtually everywhere except Colorado. If you live in Colorado, the only remote opportunities on offer may be from employers inside the state.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.
