There are more stories emerging of a gradual shift away from remote work being the bargaining chip it used to be during the Great Resignation when employers used it to attract top talent. With fewer job listings on the market promoting remote work as a significant perk, workers are having to accept they must return to the office. This suggests the power in the labor market is shifting back toward employers.

At the start of last year, workers were in a strong position to negotiate for higher compensation and better working conditions as employers scrambled to recruit top talent. One major benefit many employers used to lure candidates was the ability to work from home. According to data released by LinkedIn, remote work peaked in March 2022, during which time more than 20% of all job listings on the website offered remote work in some form. But by December 2022, that number was down to 13.2%.

But, why can’t we still have both in-office and remote work as options? At Accsurant, we believe remote work will still play a significant role in how firms operate because the genie is out of the bottle, so flexible working arrangements will likely not disappear completely. There are ways to smartly use remote work as an ongoing part of your operating model without feeling that your people are unproductive.

We believe remote workers can be just as productive as people in the office. You must be smart about how you work. A well-managed remote working team with a strong culture, clear rules, and firm deliverables can be just as effective as an in-office team. After all, anything you can do to keep your people happy will contribute to lower turnover and higher-quality work in the long run!