“It is a treat to be home and sort of wearing your t-shirt and sweatpants” said Hyla Bauer.

For many professionals like her, working remotely during the pandemic has brought new meaning to the idea of casual business attire.  As a freelance fashion writer, she was used to doing some of her work from home, but she’s had to adjust.


What You Need To Know

  • Some professionals have noticed hiring managers embracing the shift towards remote work and meeting solutions, even with the pandemic recovery picking up steam     

  • FlexJobs saw a 76% increase in fully remote jobs from 2019 to 2020 suggesting that employers plan to offer long term work from home opportunities 

  • A company expert says job seekers have also adjusted their expectations for flexible work arrangements 

“I interview executives. I got to see people and their new watch and jewelry collections. So, I’m in several in-person meetings per week and those have all gone away,” said Bauer.

Professionals like Bauer have noticed a shift among those hiring, towards remote work and meeting solutions, even with the pandemic recovery picking up steam.

“It’s become accepted for journalism to have a meeting like that versus an in-person interview," Bauer said.

Some job market experts predict that the changes over the past year to how and where people work are permanent.

“We saw a 76% increase in fully remote jobs from 2019 to 2020, and what that told us was employers were not just looking to be remote during the pandemic, but as things progressed, they thought, 'OK we really want to do this for the long term,'” said Brie Reynolds, a career development manager at the job listing website FlexJobs. The company has been specializing in flexible work opportunities since 2007.  

Reynolds says the FlexJobs has also seen job seekers change their expectations for remote or hybrid arrangements.

“Typically, the client that we’re working with now is somebody that’s been working remotely during the pandemic, they don’t want to go back to the office, maybe they had to take some time off from work and they want to get back to work but they want it to be remote,” said Reynolds.

As the recovery continues, professionals like Bauer are grateful for the chance to work at home, but hope the new normal doesn’t mean giving up face to face connections.

“There’s just something different about being one-on-one facing a person versus looking at each other on a screen," Reynolds said.  

She's looking forward to getting back to the office, even as some workers opt to stay at home.