Working from home has become a popular phrase in recent years.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, more companies allow their employees to work from home instead of being on-site.

But do people really like working from home? Will this trend continue in post-pandemic situations? Let the data tell us the answers.

In fact, remote work or working from home is nothing new, nor is it a product that only appeared in 2020. There are 4.3 million remote workers in the USA, which makes up 3.2% of the entire workforce.

It has maintained an upward trend in recent years, but COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed its progress in 2020.

More importantly, traditional big companies have realized the possibility of working from home with technology changing rapidly.

As of today, more than 30 companies have announced that extended work-from-home policies, with some even deciding to allow employees to work from home permanently.

• Intel has announced that its employees in Israel and around the world will have the option to continue to work from home until June 2021.
• "To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we are extending our global voluntary work from home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don’t need to be in the office," Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a memo to employees.
• Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told his employees in May that many of them will be allowed to work from home in perpetuity, even after the coronavirus pandemic ends.
• “Employees with work that can effectively be done from home can continue to do that work from home through June 30, 2021.” an Amazon spokeswoman said in an email.
• On August 26, Airbnb extended its work-from-home policy until the end of August 2021. They are offering a $500 stipend to employees for home office equipment, along with a $500 quarterly credit to use specifically on Airbnbs.
• Uber told employees that they could work from home through June 2021 on August. Employees will also receive a $500 stipend to set up a home office.

The latest data further confirms the reliability of this trend:

Actually, remote work benefits both the worker and the employers.

• Remote work saves money for employers and employees. According to CoSo Cloud's remote work survey statistics, employees can save more than a whopping 5 grand a year. All of this is due to having to spend less on commuting, eating at home, and more remote work makes people more focused. Unnecessary meetings and contact with people are eliminated by working from home, so that employees can focus on work without being disturbed by things outside of work.
• Remote work leads to job satisfaction. Stats suggest that working remotely from home can significantly improve employee well-being and satisfaction. In the end, happy workers are better workers. U.S. companies that allow remote working have a 25% lower employee turnover rate.

• Remote work provides flexibility and productivity. 77% of remote employees say they’re more productive when working from home and 53% of U.S. telecommuters view flexible scheduling as the top benefit.

So, will this trend continue even one day the pandemic ends? My answer is yes, which is also agreed by most experts.

• “Our best estimate is that 25-30% of the workforce will be working-from-home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.” Kate Lister says, who is the President of Global Workplace Analytics
• Audrey Khusid, founder and CEO of Miro predicts that work from home will become work from anywhere (WFX), and there will be a massive digital transformation as a result.
• “The coronavirus is going to be a tipping point. We plodded along at about 10% growth a year for the last 10 years, but I foresee that this is going to really accelerate the trend,” Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics.

Then what can we do to prepare for the upcoming changes?

1. Improve your soft skills: Soft skills like communication, collaboration, teamwork, and adaptability will be given more importance while evaluating applicants.

2. Practice to be a good written communicator: When you work remotely, most of the conversations and communication you have with your team will be via email, text and private message. Therefore, if a candidate finds it hard to express themselves using the written word, it’s a pretty safe bet that they’re not going to be able to thrive remotely.

3. Prepare a well written resume: No matter what kind of job, HR always reads you through your resume and cover letters. Therefore, it is very important to reflect that you are a suitable candidate through your resume. Don’t know how to do that? We also provide a guidance of how to write your resume for your remote job search.

Thanks to cloud-based services and technologies like virtual conferencing, these flexible working environments would allow workers to participate regardless of their physical location.

With the right tools, employees can feel engaged and empowered. They can be innovative and empathetic.

In turn, employee will only go to office few times a week for collaborative and social purpose.

It is expected that workers with permanent jobs will see major changes, as work shifts out of the workplace and either into the home or community centers where employees can hold meetings without being permanently tied to a desk.

So be ready with your resume and good luck with your job search at Jooble.org