Although remote and flexible working have been used as eye-catching terms for companies eager to hire new talent, applicants are hitting snags in the post-pandemic era.ย ย ย
Over the last few years, the concept of flexible working has become more attainable as companies relinquish their desires to bring employees into the office. However, as inflation drives the cost of living higher, employers are buckling down with their preferred arrangements, meaning workers canโt afford to take as many risks with their careers.ย
The battle of work arrangements between employers and employees has been hot since the onset of the pandemic, but current economic standings could alter future work models.ย ย
While LinkedIn data shows that demand for remote work is nearly at an all-time high, companies are quietly cutting back on their flexible offerings. In fact, just 15% of LinkedIn job listings were described as remote despite 50% of applications seeking work-from-home positions.ย
โItโs the โgreat remote work mismatch,โโ said Rand Ghayad, head of economics and global labor markets at LinkedIn.ย
โIn the past, labor mismatches have been about skills. Now weโre seeing a different kind of mismatch, where workers are looking for jobs that offer certain attributes โ like the ability to work remotely โ that employers arenโt willing to offer.โ ย ย
However, this doesnโt mean that flexible work models will be a relic of the past.ย
โI do think itโs hard to put the genie back in the bottle on this one,โ said Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter.ย
โOnce you hire a remote employee who lives elsewhere โ as many companies have โ itโs very hard to insist that people who live near the office come in all the time.โย
