Is It Easier to Find Remote Work Jobs in 2022?

Accelerated by the global pandemic, the future of work is no longer reserved for—well—the future. The future of work is now, with more and more workers demanding and employers embracing remote work.

According to a recent Gartner survey, “by the end of 2021, 51% of all knowledge workers worldwide are expected to be working remotely, up from 27% of knowledge workers in 2019.” Further, Gartner estimates that as 2021 ends, remote workers will constitute 32% of all global workers--almost double the percentage in 2019.

But is remote work only an option for a select few, such as knowledge workers? In its 2021 U.S. Remote Work Survey, PwC found that “the success of remote work has reimagined how corporate work gets done, as well as where the work takes place.” In fact, 83% of employers claim that their shift to remote work has been a success, up 10 percentage points from June 2020.

So, with remote work jobs here to stay, let’s take a closer look at what it means to be looking for remote roles in 2022.

The Numbers: Remote Roles in 2022 vs. Previous Years

In 2019, only 6% of people primarily worked from home (WFH), and almost 75% never worked remotely. And, although demands for remote work were present in the years leading up to the pandemic, growth in this work sector was steady but slow. According to the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), full-time remote work increased from 4% to 6% between 2009 and 2019, still only impacting a small number of workers across all industries.

Fast forward to June 2020, and 42% of the U.S. workforce alone were working remotely full-time, representing a massive jump in WFH numbers. Where WFH was initially a temporary solution to keeping workers safe in the early days of the pandemic, now 54% of global workers say that they would “consider leaving their job post-COVID-19 pandemic if they are not afforded some form of flexibility in where and when they work,” according to EY’s 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey.

Employers have also realized the strong and growing preference for remote jobs among workers, with many shifting to hybrid or fully remote work models. According to Liz Fealy, EY Global People Advisory Services Deputy Leader and EY Global Workforce Advisory and Solutions Leader:

Employees’ willingness to change jobs in the current economic environment is a game-changer. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that flexibility can work for both employees and employers, and flexible working is the new currency for attracting and retaining top talent. Employers who want to keep the best people now and in the next normal will need to put flexible working front and center of their talent strategy.

Employers have responded in kind. A 2021 Mercer study found that 70% of employers surveyed planned to implement a hybrid work model. Further, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index found that 66% of organizational business leaders are “considering redesigning physical spaces to better accommodate hybrid work environments.”

However, even with these staggering numbers around remote work, there’s still a gap in advertised remote jobs and the demand for WFH, especially outside of the knowledge industry.

What Barriers Do Candidates Face When Searching for Remote Jobs in 2022?

With the surging demand for full-time remote work jobs, there's more demand than supply. Thus, candidates looking for remote work will run into a primary barrier: significant competition for a limited number of advertised remote positions. And, you’re not just competing against talent locally. You’re competing against regional, national, and even global talent.

Remote candidates may face additional challenges if they lack the specialized skills many employers are looking for in remote workers. Many employers hire remote workers specifically to fill their team’s skills gaps, such as accounting, computer programming, engineering, project management, or online marketing.

What Are Some Strategies for Finding Full-Time Remote Work Jobs in 2022?

There’s no doubt that remote work is here to stay. But, how do you combat the barriers to securing a WFH job? Let’s look at three key strategies for finding remote work jobs in 2022 and beyond.

• Update your LinkedIn profile. It's important that your work and education experience is not only up-to-date, but outlined in a way that would bring context for a hiring manager from overseas who may not be familiar with the university you attended or companies you've worked for. Is your university highly ranked or respected? Say so. Is your company a market leader in your country? Say so. And make sure to include any awards, accolades or impressive results that will signal you're a rockstar.
• Highlight your remote work experience. Remote work isn't for everyon – but the whole world just did a test drive. Companies want to hire people that are even more productive at home than in the office. Talk about your productivity journey working from home during the pandemic. Emphasize your wins and accomplishments, such a launching a successful project virtually, implementing an asynchronous workflow, or onboarding new team members through Slack and Zoom.
• Look further from home. An increasing number of remote positions are location agnostic – meaning you don't need to live near the office in order to apply. Make sure you read the job description carefully. Some remote jobs are fully remote where others are hybrid positions, meaning you work remotely part of the time and on-site for the balance. While most remote-first companies have now implemented asynchronous workflows that make it easier to collaborate across timezones, always ensure that you clearly understand in the expectations around working hours, especially if you're not in the same timezone as your manager. Nobody likes a 3am meeting!

How Can Crossover Help?

If your goal is to find a remote job that:

1. Hires in your country (but pays better than anything local)
2. Is full-time and permanent (not a short-term contract or gig)
3. Lets you make your own schedule (no 3am meetings!)
   
   and most importantly...
4. Offers challenging and interesting work.

You're in luck. That's our specialty. Where most remote job platforms focus on short-term remote gigs, or a single location, Crossover helps place top talent in fully remote positions in software engineering, software architecture and design, product management, sales, finance, executive leadership, and more. In addition, we require full pay transparency from our clients – so you know exactly which roles meet your expectations.

So, what are you waiting for?

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