The Remote Work Report 2021

Key Takeaways

Talent flows where flexibility reigns

52% of remote workers noted that they would consider leaving their co-located company for a remote role — particularly significant given the global job market volatility. If remote work was suddenly no longer an option, 1 in 3 respondents would quit their job.

The contrast of perception and reality

There's a disconnect between the ostensibly high levels of satisfaction with remote work and the actual pain people are feeling day-to-day. While 4 in 5 would recommend remote working to a friend and 81% of people are satisfied with the level of productivity, teamwork across organizations is struggling. Just over a third (37%) report that their organization does a good job of aligning work across projects.

Transparency creates belonging

34% of respondents noted that more transparency from leadership leads to a deeper feeling of connectedness at work, while 38% noted that more visibility into the work within the organization improved their sense of connection. Creating a sense of belonging within an organization is top of mind for many leaders. There's an interesting parallel between transparency and belonging. Put simply, it's easier to feel like part of a team when you can easily see what others are working toward.

Remote eyes the mainstream

This survey was limited to people who will continue working remotely post-pandemic. 45% of these respondents reported less than a year of remote experience, meaning they started working remotely during the pandemic. This surge of new talent in the remote workforce pushes remote work closer to the mainstream, creating a large enough category that all organizations will be expected to have a formalized stance on workplace flexibility.

If remote work was no longer an option, 1 in 3 would leave their jobs.

There's no putting the genie back in the bottle

82% agreed that remote work is the future of work, with nearly as many (80%) saying that they would recommend working remotely to a friend. This is particularly staggering given that crisis-induced work-from-home severely limits the benefits of remote work, and yet, the increased autonomy and loss of commute are powerful agents.

The office is a hard habit to break

Despite overwhelming positivity for more flexible work policies, 45% of respondents worry over not seeing colleagues in person, while 34% are concerned about their ability to collaborate effectively. This spotlights an acute need for upskilling and development, with organizations now responsible for teaching their employee base how to collaborate across time zones and borders in an increasingly remote world.

Employers win, too

Increased productivity (42%) , increased efficiency (38%) , a reduction in bureaucracy and politics (24%) , and improved documentation and process (20%) were cited as top benefits to employers by enabling a remote environment.

A catalyst for diversity

Worldwide, women only make up about 38% of the workforce. In remote work, they are the majority at 58%. Too, 9% of respondents self-reported as LGBTQ+ — significantly higher than the known global representation. However, respondents were overwhelmingly White, even in nations where they are an ethnic minority.

4 in 5 people would recommend remote work to a friend.

Next stop: burnout

42% of those surveyed admit that they struggle with maintaining boundaries while working away from the office. Leaders should proactively address this worrying trend by normalizing time away to recharge and prioritizing personal well-being in a visible way.

Coffee breaks go virtual

With travel restrictions in place, 33% of remote workers saw their organizations lean on virtual coffee or tea breaks to foster a sense of community. Pair that with 27% who cited virtual happy hours, and you've got a lot of video-based team building going on.

The documentation divide

Fewer than 50% feel that their organization is doing enough to share company-wide goals, document processes, create communication standards, and promote visibility amongst workstreams. Barely a third believe their leaders are appropriately aligning work across projects.

Project background

This is the second annual Remote Work Report. GitLab's pre-pandemic, March 2020 report sought to look forward to the future of remote work; we now know that the future of work is distributed. We are no longer asking "if" remote can scale — now, we are seeking to understand how, what the challenges are, and what's next. This survey set out to ask new questions that will form the basis of global discussions in 2021 and beyond.

Fielding: February 12 - March 10, 2021

Sample: N=3,900

• Adults 21+ years old
• Will work remotely or have the option to work remotely post pandemic
• Roles with digital output
• Live in US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Brazil or South Korea
• Independent research conducted by Savanta