In case you’ve missed the headline-making news about the mass exodus of employees during the pandemic, the great resignation is referring to employees quitting their jobs for…any number of reasons including better pay, better work culture, more work-balance…the list goes on.

In addition, job seekers are refusing jobs that they once would have considered.  Something about the pandemic has caused a certain “employment reckoning” with employees across many cities and states.  Let’s take a look at one of those reasons.

In this short post, we’ll talk about the obvious: remote work.  The pandemic has taught a number of hesitant employers that employees CAN work from home.  Working remotely isn’t just about convenience for the employee; it’s about trust.  Employees want to feel like they can be trusted to manage themselves and their work and home life.  The pandemic has also opened up the eyes of employees who have said “Hey! I can do this!” meaning that some employees have realized the joys of not having to get up super early to fight traffic, not having increased dry cleaning bills, not paying for so much gas for their car, and so on.  Frankly, people have gotten used to it and many job seekers are looking for fully remote work.

Certainly, not all positions are designed for remote work, AND not all employees are suited for remote work either.  But it’s worth a conversation and perhaps a trial run.  Remember, managers are still responsible for ensuring workers are meeting goals and expectations, so if it’s not working, you always have the option to say “no.”  But for many, working remotely provides so much value, which in turn provides value to the company.  Happy workers are more productive, so this can be a win-win.