Survey: Job seekers and employees value remote work

The people have spoken: remote work is more than a perk; it’s a coveted way of working. A new CareerBuilder survey revealed that 69% of U.S. employed adults feel positively about remote work. More than three in five (61%) affirm they work better remotely compared to working in their company’s physical workplace.

When evaluating job opportunities, an overwhelming majority — 77% — of employed job seekers place at least some importance on the option for remote work with 21% saying it’s absolutely essential when determining if a role is right for them. Most employed adults prioritize remote work over other incentives including the potential for advancement (34%), job security (33%) ,and a better company culture fit (24%).

“This data shows that job seekers and employees are seeing the value in a changing work environment and this type of flexibility has become a priority in the scope of their current and future careers,” said Susan Arthur, CEO of CareerBuilder. “We are also seeing these sentiments translate directly on our site – employers who include a work-from-home or remote option are currently attracting seven times more applicants.”

People aren’t necessarily averse to coming into the workplace all together; two in three employed adults (67%) would like to work remotely at least three days per week. However, more than a quarter of respondents — 28% — said they would prefer to work remotely at a full-time capacity. Further, 38% of employees, and more than half of Millennials (51%), say they would quit if they weren’t able to work remotely.

Most respondents didn’t report seeing a downside to remote work. Of the employed, only 29% say remote work makes teamwork difficult and intimidating, 23% feel isolated, and 18% feel unsupported.