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When the pandemic struck in early 2020, millions of professionals wondered how they’d cope working from home. Fast forward to mid-2021, and it’s a different story. Now, millions of professionals are wondering how they’ll cope with a return to the office.
Before we label this the “remote work revolution,” a note of caution. Not everyone wants to work from home, and many organizations believe in offices and other shared workplaces, believing that they foster in-person collaboration and strong team morale. Likewise, the dream of relocating to some scenic locale with a laptop and an internet connection is just one aspiration among many. Plenty of professionals are happy where they are, while those who plan to relocate have diverse reasons for doing so.
To dig deeper, Michael Page surveyed more than 200 job seekers across Switzerland to understand how work and lifestyle expectations are changing in the new normal.
Remote working: a successful experiment?
If a professional’s ability to relocate depends on their ability to work remotely, our survey has good news for anyone contemplating a move. More than 8 out of 10 of the Michael Page candidates polled believed they could fulfill their tasks or responsibilities remotely. For their part, it seems that employers are increasingly comfortable working with dispersed teams, with 45% of respondents reporting a spike in the number of roles advertised with remote work as part of the package.
Questioned as to whether remote work would impact salaries and benefits, a clear majority (57%) agreed that it would. Of these respondents, 33% predicted that home workers would receive targeted benefits like internet supplier and electricity subsidies. The other 35% saw the glass as half empty, highlighting perks and benefits home workers would lose, such as lunch allowances and company cars.
A workforce on the move
How does the explosion in flexible working opportunities align with relocation rates? 14% of respondents said they had relocated since the start of the pandemic. 40% claimed they were planning a move — 7% within the next 12 months and 33% sometime in the future. That compares with 47% who said they had no intention of leaving their current location.
Does more flexible working mean more relocation? The survey suggests that’s too simplistic. People don’t only consider relocation because technology allows them to. Perhaps the experience of COVID has made them reevaluate their lifestyle priorities? 53% of respondents who had considered relocation said they were looking for an economically more dynamic area; 21% would like to be closer to family and loved ones; 19% would like to have a bigger property or one with a garden, balcony, or terrace.
A similarly complex picture of post-COVID aspirations emerged when we asked respondents how relocation would change their employment conditions. Only 18% said they would only relocate for an equivalent role, compared to 49% who would look for a job in a different industry. Others weren’t looking for a promotion or even a new job, including 25% who would be prepared to reenter education or long-term training.
In a year, we should have a better idea of whether relocation aspirations are a short-term reaction to the stresses of COVID or a long-term consequence of the remote working boom. In the meantime, this survey suggests that quality of life and career development considerations drive relocation just as much as flexible working practices do.
Remote Work & Relocation
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