Elon Musk’s email to employees ordering them back into offices for work has had the opposite effect on the rest of the workforce, who are now looking for remote work jobs more than ever. New researchOpens a new window by Lemon.ai backs up the employees’ sentiment, claiming that remote job searches are at an all-time high.
Numerous studies conducted by companies can stipulate the importance of remote work for employees, universities, and other organizations, all of which point to one thing: a majority of the workforce want to telework. None, however, has sparked as much interest in the subject as Elon Musk’s letter to Tesla staff.
The Tesla CEO’s order to his employees to come back to offices for at least 40 hours a week made headlines and sparked a discourse on the subject. At the risk of dividing the Tesla camp and the possibility of employee attrition, Musk remained undeterred in calling back his troops.
In the leaked email, Musk said, “There are of course companies that don’t require this [in-office work], but when was the last time they shipped a great new product? It’s been a while.†It is perhaps one of the most contested decisions for the post-COVID-19 era, wherein most technology companies are amending previously scheduled callbacks in favor of continuing to work in a hybrid setup.
The ability to work remotely is also the fourth most prominent reason employees seek new jobs in 2022. Aleksandr Volodarsky, CEO at Lemon.io, a marketplace of vetted offshore software engineers, told Toolbox, “The past few years have proven that remote working benefits both employees and employers alike.â€
“Providing a better work-life balance by removing the grueling daily commute, employees are healthier and happier, as are their finances. After all, as the cost of living spirals globally, businesses should not overlook the relief a lack of transport costs can provide.â€
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Musk’s opinion differs from Volodarsky’s. The billionaire CEO heads SpaceX besides Tesla and is ready to trade off employee convenience and consistent productivity for innovation. “Tesla has and will create and actually manufacture the most exciting and meaningful products of any company on Earth. This will not happen by phoning it in.â€
So, as Tesla employees prepare for the pre-COVID-19 style of work, the rest of the workforce is looking forward to having the option to continue to work remotely. Lemon.ai found that since Musk’s email was leaked, there has been a 556% rise in searches for the term “work when you want remote jobs.â€
Searches for “what remote jobs are in demand†surged by +357%, while searches for “remote positions†and “remote part-time jobs†jumped 85% and 105%, respectively, to their all-time high. It looks like the workforce has spoken.
Volodarsky added, “Any doubters should look to our future-shaping venture capitalists, who have invested millions in companies being run from bedrooms around the world over the past years. Rather than forcing outdated practices upon their teams, leaders must embrace this change and consider how to use it to their advantage. Otherwise, like those already searching for remote jobs, talent will simply seek flexibility elsewhere.â€
On the flip side, remote work does pose multiple challenges. The shift to remote work was rather abrupt, so the consolidation of communication between employees will be a crucial part of future teleworking.
Remote work also means organizations now have a global talent pool to choose from, making finding jobs a tad competitive. It can also be argued that the cultural elements of organizations are at risk of being lost along the way.
In any case, a steep learning curve lies ahead for organizations and their employees.
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