[Real Beat] Searches Increased 20 Times... 'Remote Work' Seen Through Blind [Office Shift](25)

Analysis of Search Terms on the Anonymous Workplace Platform 'Blind'
Related Searches Include 'Overtime, Until When, Next Week', etc.
Naver and Kakao Employees Mainly Search for Their Companies

Earlier this year, when companies like Kakao and Yanolja announced plans to reduce remote work, employees flocked to one place: the workplace community app Blind. On this anonymous platform, employees shared their opinions on the companies' measures, and debates over pros and cons unfolded in the comment sections. Posts such as "The pressure to come to the office has started" and "Do we really have to go to work?" flooded not only the boards visible only to employees but also the open free boards accessible to all app users.

On Blind, posts asking "How is your company?" regarding work systems continued. It was truly a space where workers asked each other about their companies' work policies and wondered whether remote work policies were actually usable in practice. A survey titled "How much salary would you give up if you could work from home?" was conducted, with dozens of employees participating. Honest questions and answers about work systems, which are difficult to know outside one's own company, were continuously posted on Blind.

On the 12th, Asia Economy, together with Team Blind, examined posts and search volumes related to remote work and flexible work that appeared on Blind during the COVID-19 period. Through search terms, we looked into how much interest office workers have in the new work style of remote work and what their thoughts are.

◆ 'Work from Home' Searches Remain Strong Even in the Endemic Era

Search terms on Blind provide a glimpse into where office workers' interests lie. The number of posts written or searches made containing remote work-related terms (a total of four words: remote work, work from home, flexible work, flexible) surged dramatically starting from the COVID-19 outbreak.

In January 2020, the search volume for remote work-related terms was around 910 cases, but by February, it exceeded 30,000. In March, it nearly doubled again, reaching a record high of 61,000. This was the time when the government implemented strict lockdown measures due to the spread of COVID-19, and companies began urgent responses. The number of posts containing remote work-related terms also skyrocketed from about 140 in January 2020 to around 6,400 in March of the same year, an increase of over 4,000%.

"COVID-19 company remote work status. I gathered info from articles and acquaintances." - Post dated February 25, 2020

"After two weeks of working from home, here’s what I felt: zero commuting stress, no transportation costs. The downside is I want to go to the office. It’s too boring." - Post dated March 9, 2020

From the second half of 2020 through 2021, search volumes and post counts fluctuated in line with changes in COVID-19 case numbers. In 2020, when cases surged in August and December, related posts and searches increased accordingly. In the first half of 2021, search volumes remained around 10,000, but during July and August, when cases rose from 10,000 to 40,000-50,000, searches increased to about 40,000.

During this period, various variants such as Delta and Omicron spread, and companies adjusted their remote work policies accordingly, which seems to have heightened employees' interest. Major corporations like Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, and SK implemented measures such as adjusting remote work ratios and banning gatherings or meetings in line with the government's special COVID-19 prevention measures.

Even now, three years and four months after fully entering the endemic phase, the number of posts and search volumes related to remote work remain higher than before COVID-19. From early last year, considered the peak of COVID-19 in Korea, through March this year, search volumes have stayed in the 10,000 range, and posts have remained at least in the 1,000 range. Although there is a tendency to decrease, office workers' interest in remote work remains high.

Recently, posts asking about internal company atmospheres, such as "How many days a week does company 00 allow remote work?" and "Is the atmosphere supportive of working from home?" continue to appear on the open free boards accessible to all users. There are also posts seeking advice on whether to choose a company offering three days of remote work per week but lower salary, or another with a higher salary but requiring five days of office attendance.

Shim Jeong-hee, a data analyst at Blind, explained, "Compared to before the pandemic, current related search volumes are about 20 times higher. Until 2021, office workers' interest in remote work correlated with the number of confirmed cases, but since 2022, it has somewhat decreased. However, it has remained steady without significant fluctuations."

◆ Early Pandemic Searches Focused on 'Until When', January This Year on 'Abolition'... Top 15 Related Searches

So, what were office workers curious about regarding remote and flexible work? We examined related search terms entered alongside the four keywords?remote work, work from home, flexible work, flexible?during major periods of increased search volume. Subtle changes were found depending on how long the COVID-19 situation was expected to last.

In March 2020, early in the COVID-19 spread, the top 15 related searches excluding company names included words related to duration and prevention measures such as "extension" (1st), "until when" (4th), and "next week" (5th). These searches generally assumed that remote work would end in the short term. At that time, companies were uncertain about how long the pandemic would last and often announced work locations on a weekly basis.

However, from the second half of 2020, the atmosphere changed somewhat. From August 2020 through January this year, the top 15 related searches consistently included "laptop," "monitor," and "chair." These were product categories that saw a surge in sales during the COVID-19 period. Posts recommending necessary work equipment to other office workers were also frequently found on the boards.

This indicates that from the point when it was recognized that the COVID-19 situation would not end quickly, people decided to prepare their home work environments. Indeed, related searches during major spikes in 2020-2021 included "level 3" and "level 4," reflecting government social distancing measures.

In January this year, when the atmosphere shifted toward reducing remote work, the top related search was "company," suggesting people were still trying to identify which companies were continuing remote work. "COVID" ranked second, and "abolition" was fourth, indicating searches to understand how the endemic phase might affect remote work and whether it was being phased out.

As the adoption of remote work varied by country (see April 8, 2023 article '[Jjinbit] How Apartment Remote Work Differs from Residential Remote Work [Office Shift] (17)'), related search terms also showed subtle differences between Korea and the United States.

Blind is also used in places like Silicon Valley in the U.S. Analyzing posts by American users on Blind from January 2020 to March 2023, related searches alongside the four remote work terms?'Work from home,' 'WFH' (abbreviation for work from home), 'Remote work,' and 'Flexible Work'?included terms like "tax," "international," "location," and "state" at various times.

Analyst Shim Jeong-hee explained, "Since 2021, when remote work became prolonged, these keywords appeared in related searches by American office workers. As remote work became a common work style, changes such as moving to states with lower taxes or relocating to areas with a higher standard of living were reflected. This differs from Korea."

This trend also appeared in cost-related terms. Among American office workers, related searches frequently included "reimbursement" and "expense" from as early as March 2020, focusing on remote work-related costs. In Korea, cost-related related searches included terms like "meal allowance" and "support," but these did not consistently rank high at major times as in the U.S. (see April 21, 2023 article '[Jjinbit] "Pay for Remote Work Costs!" Employee vs. Company Conflict [Office Shift] (21)').

So, did office workers at Korea's representative large companies like Samsung Electronics, Naver, and Kakao show different patterns in related searches?

Overall, no significant differences were found. However, among the top 15 related searches including company names, Naver and Kakao employees frequently searched for each other's companies. Also, in July 2021, the top related search for Samsung Electronics employees regarding remote work was "Hynix." During the COVID-19 period, when work system changes were significant, employees seemed to monitor competitors' trends. Blind explained that news about the industry-leading company always attracts high interest. However, in January this year, the top related search for all three companies was "Kakao," likely reflecting attention to Kakao's shift to a work system prioritizing office attendance.

What is Blind, the Anonymous Workplace Community Platform?

Founded in December 2013 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA, Blind is an anonymous workplace community platform. It currently has over 8 million office worker subscribers worldwide. It is estimated that 79% of employees at Korea's top three conglomerates?Samsung, SK, and Hyundai Motor?are registered on Blind, along with 86% of employees at companies with over 300 employees, and 90% of employees at the top 1,000 companies by market capitalization. In the U.S., many Silicon Valley companies also use Blind. Eight out of ten employees at Uber and Meta Platforms (Facebook's parent company), and six out of ten Microsoft (MS) employees are registered on Blind.