3 out of 4 job seekers want remote work options, many companies falling behind: report

While the vast majority of job seekers are attracted to the idea of working from home if given the opportunity, a new report suggests many companies are falling short of adapting to remote work.

"There are a lot of misconceptions and a lot of negative views around remote work, especially from employers," said Kal Fakhreddin, research associate for Workforce WindsorEssex and author of the report.

According to the report, employers shy away from accommodating remote work due to concerns over reduced productivity, collaboration efforts being difficult, hardware costs and a lack of employee supervision — but survey data shows companies that fail to, do struggle to keep workers and find new ones.

The survey shows 84 per cent of employees who work remotely wish to continue doing so in the future. Approximately three in every four people would lean toward applying for jobs which offer remote work options.

"While many employers are unsure of the benefits of remote work, or feel unprepared to offer them long-term, there is a misalignment that could lead to reduced retention and potentially affect future employment," the report reads.

Kal Fakhreddin, research associate for Workforce WindsorEssex and author of a report on remote work, says many companies have 'negative views' around allowing their employees to work from home. Pictured in Windsor, Ont., on WEdnesday, Jan. 25, 2023. (Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor resident Adam Reaume recently started a work-from-home job and said he prefers working remotely because he does not own a personal vehicle and is recovering from an injury.

"You have your privacy. You have your space that you're used to working." said Reaume. "If I don't work from home, I may have to make a 45-minute bus commute and pay for a monthly bus pass which cuts into my income. It's an easy choice."

Reaume's employer is not based in Windsor — and the report says it is becoming more common for local talent to remotely work for companies elsewhere.

One challenge observed by Fakhreddin is that many organizations find it difficult to compete with bigger cities offering remote work. For example, a company in Toronto can afford to offer Windsor-based employees a much higher salary.

"The positive aspect is that workers are exposed to better wages and potentially better benefits when they can easily outsource their skills through

remote work. Regardless, the idea is to make remote work effective for employees and employees in Windsor," the report added.

Fakhreddin tells CTV News there are companies that have embraced remote work — and the ones that have are seeing clear benefits.

For companies that do adapt to remote work, Fakhreddin said, the benefits are clear: reduced overhead costs and easier recruitment.

"I was surprised by the amount of employers that have found that remote work really works for them," she said, adding one-third of local businesses maintain some type of remote work model.

To address concerns over reduced productivity, Fakhreddin suggests businesses implement measures to adapt to remote work, such as only requiring employees to enter the office once or twice a week or holding team-building exercises in person.

"So it's not the fact that they have to offer a fully remote workplace but to find a model that works best for them," she said.

"I find that employees will be a lot more satisfied with that flexibility, employers will have happier employees and they will retain employees better which is a big issue in Windsor."

As for Reaume, who just started his work-from-home job a week ago, he said his employer has demonstrated a good understanding of how to accommodate to remote work.

"There might be the possibility for distractions, but in a place like where I work, that would clearly show up in some sort of metrics," said Reaume.

"Some people obviously might not be well tuned to working at home ... but for me, I feel like I'm able to buckle down."