5 Remote Work Statistics to Guide Your Mobile Workforce Strategy

For a long time, companies shied away from remote work due to anxieties around productivity loss. However, the latest remote work statistics speak a different, more evolved story. In this article, we share five interesting remote work statistics for 2020. We also discuss actionable insights that you can draw from these findings.

If you’re still on the fence about remote working, 2020 might be the year to take the leap.

Back in 2017, the International Labor Organization (ILO)Opens a new window had highlighted the rise of telecommuting and how it would allow employees to work from remote locations. At that time, mobile working practices varied widely from 2% to 40% globally, and the EU average was still a modest 17%.

Fast forward three years, and you have a very different picture.

Google Opens a new window has become a vocal proponent of distributed work, and the company finds that the process is just as productive as employees working out of the same office. Granted that Google was speaking about distributed teams (not necessarily work-from-home scenarios), but their finding is relevant in the remote work context.

It assuages worries around a possible dip in productivity and control if employees aren’t present in person.

And this is confirmed by research co-authored by Harvard Business School and Northeastern University. The World Economic Forum (WEF) highlighted Opens a new window findings from the research paper, which suggested 100% remote workOpens a new window could actually make employees 4.4% more productive than traditional setups!

If you want to achieve these benefits in 2020, you need a robust mobile workforce strategy informed by the latest remote work statistics and trends. So, let’s dive right in.

Learn More: 3 Best Practices for Managing Remote TeamsOpens a new window

5 Lessons to Learn From These Remote Work Statistics for 2020

Remote work statistics can vary across reports, but one theme is common: mobile working and flexible schedules are now a popular employee benefit for every organization. HR needs to take proactive measures, keeping an eye on remote employee productivity, wellness, and future growth. For example, you might need to rewire your infrastructure as per the needs of a remote workforce or implement newer technologies to collaborate with them. And if all goes well, you may eventually want to transition to a virtual office entirely.

Let’s look at five statistics about remote work from leading analysts and 100% remote companies, and the lessons they have for HR.

1. Rethink your infrastructure: 91% of employees had a remote meeting in the last 7 days

Meetings via virtual channels are now commonplace. 73% even said that they had at least four remote meetings in a single week. And these meetings were spread across team members (88%), other teams (59%), and customers (55%). Connection and audio quality were cited as top issues affecting the meeting.

So, what do these statistics from a survey of 486 respondents by Miro and FYI in 2019 Opens a new window  tell us?

Your employees regularly use video, cloud-based collaboration tools, and VoIP calling to boost productivity. In many cases, these are customer-facing conversations, directly linked to revenues. That’s why your mobile workforce strategy must include a strong digital infrastructure comprising a set of important remote work toolsOpens a new window to streamline the communication process.

2. Expand benefits: Stock options are 70% more important to remote workers than on-site workers

It might appear that remote employees do not prioritize total rewards elements such as benefits and stock options as much as on-site employees. But this isn’t true – remote employees highly value employee stock option plansOpens a new window in addition to base compensation, flexibility, and health insuranceOpens a new window . 46% of remote workers say that stock options are important, versus only 27% of on-site workers.

So, what does this statistic from a survey of 1,202 respondents by Owl LabsOpens a new window in 2019 tell us?

In 2020, HR must dramatically expand their workplace benefits. Stock options (traditionally limited to senior employees or those linked to an organization’s success) matter equally to remote workers. They perceive themselves as integral to a company’s growth journey. This feeling can be strengthened by offering them the same benefits.

Learn More: The Future of Remote Work in 2020 and Beyond – 8 Tips for HROpens a new window

3. Strengthen distributed communities: 20% struggle with loneliness and 20% with communication

These are alarming remote work statistics and require immediate intervention from HR. 20% of remote workers say they face difficulties with collaboration/communication – another 20% say that loneliness is their no. 1 challenge, and 18% struggle to unplug after work. Worryingly, these were the top three challenges for remote workers last yearOpens a new window as well.

So, what does this statistic from the 2020 survey of 3500+ respondents by BufferOpens a new window tell us?

Employee engagementOpens a new window must extend to remote employees as well. 2020’s mobile workforce strategies will prioritize connected experiences and engagement in virtual spaces, urging employees to form relationships, take time for personal pursuits, and work together as a community.

4. “Remote-ize” recruitment marketing: 80% would turn down a job offer without flexible working

As we mentioned, flexible work has become a commonly asked for benefit among candidates. This trend has gained so much momentum that 4 out of every 5 candidates would turn down a job offer without flexible working if they had an approximately similar offer that included this benefit.

So, what does this statistic from a survey of 15,000 respondents by the International Workplace Group in 2019Opens a new window tell us?

Companies that fail to advertise their remote work benefits adequately will lose out to competitors. In a hiring climate where demand for top-tier talent is always rising and unemployment at its lowest, you can use recruitment marketingOpens a new window to position flexi-work as a central part of your employee value propositionOpens a new window .

5. Create virtual offices: 75% believe the traditional office will be obsolete by 2030

The rise of remote work is raising questions around the concept of the office itself. 71% of millennials believe that traditional offices will be replaced by remote work by 2030. 75% of remote workers said that offices are on their way out. Interestingly, 63% of in-office workers agreed!

So, what does this remote work statistic from a 2019 survey of 880 respondents by Zapier tellOpens a new window us?

As office structures undergo a radical shift, HR must embrace virtual workplaces powered by the latest digital tools. You could imagine technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) to play a significant role in this transformation.

For example, VR-based collaboration could simulate gestures and body language for remote teams. AI could aid workforce scheduling for distributed teams, and democratized analytics would allow employees to access insights anytime, anywhere.

Learn More: Four in Five US Small Businesses Have No Formal Remote Working Policy in PlaceOpens a new window

The Way Forward: Formalizing Remote Working in 2020 with HR Policies

As is clear from these five remote work statistics, the culture of “presenteeism” is no longer the norm. Instead, organizations and their employees are embracing flexible structures. These structures can lead to heightened productivity, benefiting the business while allowing employees to make the best use of their time.

The Zapier study found that a whopping 74% of respondents are willing to quit their jobs for a position that offers remote working! 

This simply means that HR will need to reimagine policies, protocols, and compliance mandates from a remote vantage point. Existing approaches to time & attendanceOpens a new window , benefits administration, and engagement will witness a complete overhaul with an eye on employee convenience – as well as well-being.

Are you ready to leverage remote work at your company? Or, do you already do so?  Tell us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window .