[K-Women Talk] Remote Work: An Urgent Task Beyond a Matter of Choice

[Asia Economy] Elon Musk, who acquired Twitter, made headlines worldwide by stating in his first group email to employees that 'remote work (telecommuting)' would not be allowed. In a reality where remote work has become a permanent norm in the modern labor world rather than a temporary response to the COVID-19 pandemic, can Musk's experiment to revert to the past truly work?

As a headhunter, one of the significant recent changes I have noticed in the hiring market is receiving many questions from experienced job changers about remote work or flexible work arrangements. It is easy to find websites that provide tables summarizing whether companies allow flexible working hours and remote work. This is clearly a phenomenon different from the pre-pandemic era, and for companies desperately trying to retain existing talent and secure new personnel, preparing accurate measures based on a clear understanding of hybrid work environments, including remote work, has become an urgent task rather than a matter of choice.

A recent McKinsey report (American Opportunity Survey) conducted this year with 25,000 American workers presented noteworthy changes after the pandemic. Among the reasons job seekers choose workplaces, high pay and career advancement potential were followed by work flexibility as the third most important factor. In other words, assuming that prospective companies offer similar compensation, the opportunity to work flexibly can be a decisive factor in choosing a workplace.

According to another McKinsey report published in October (Women in the Workplace 2022), transitioning to remote or hybrid work requires more than just modifying some old policies and practices. It emphasizes that five efforts are necessary for this transition. First, a clear plan and guidelines for flexible work arrangements. Second, regular feedback from employees. Third, considering various ways to connect remote workers. Besides technical connection infrastructure like video conferencing, planning events that foster a sense of belonging and camaraderie is also very important. Fourth, just as clear plans for remote work are essential, planned design for on-site work is equally necessary. Lastly, it is crucial that employees choosing hybrid work options are not discriminated against. Managers should evaluate based on measurable results rather than working hours or locations. Additionally, managers need to closely monitor the performance evaluations and promotions of hybrid work employees.

It is also true that many domestic companies tend to revert to the past regarding remote work. The previously mentioned American research results are based on surveys of office workers and do not reflect studies from the perspective of corporate performance. More time will be needed for objective investigations from the perspective of companies that must accept remote work.

Although it is a U.S. study, an interesting additional finding related to remote work is that women are more sensitive to remote work than men. Especially when considering age, young women who will form the next generation are more sensitive to remote work. Considering the reality in Korea, where the importance of female workers in the workplace is increasingly highlighted due to population decline, it is time for companies to pay attention to establishing multifaceted measures for hybrid work, including remote work, which can no longer be resisted.

Moon Seon-kyung, Executive Director at Unico Search