Interest in remote work is rising, but company policies are lagging. That's according to the third annual Topia Adapt survey. 

In today’s article, we discuss key Adapt survey findings highlighting how organizations are responding to an ever-growing interest in remote work.  

84% of HR professionals investing in remote work tools/technology

There’s no arguing, the global pandemic has bolstered employees' desire for flexible work. Eighty-five percent of HR professionals polled in our 2022 Adapt survey reported they expect remote work requests to increase. And, in response to this influx, organizations are pivoting talent strategies to focus on remote work. This pivot requires organizations to invest in tools and technology designed to mitigate risk and simplify the process employees must follow when requesting remote options.  

“HR has changed and expanded over the past several years. This shift requires a focus on leveraging the right technology,” advises Topia Chief People Officer, Jacky Cohen during a recent Adapt To Work Everywhere roundtable discussion.

39% of employees would like to work remotely but their company makes it too difficult. 

"Perception precedes reality." - Andy Warhol

How employees perceive an organization's remote work policies matters. And, a majority of employees' perception is that their company makes remote work too difficult. Almost half of the employees surveyed reported a perception of extreme difficulty when it came to remote work policies. In fact, 48% of employees reported feeling their company's remote work policy was designed to make it easier for the business/HR to say “No”.  

48% of employees feel that remote work policies are in place just to make requests easier to reject.

An alarming 48% of employees report feeling they will get a "No" when making remote work inquiries, so they don't ask. Because of this, organizations would be well advised to focus on education when it comes to remote work policies. Let your workforce know the why behind the policy and construct a transparent and easy-to-follow process.

For example:

• Why tracking employee location is critical
• Easy to follow relocation process
• An outline of the chain of command
• Process timelines  

During a recent Adapt To Anywhere roundtable discussion, Color Chief People Officer Kate Botler Kodesh shared their approach to shifting this mindset, "Color's flexible frameworks are a result of employees' misperception that policies are in place to restrict them. Instead, our policies are designed to support employees, fostering an environment that benefits them. That's why we've gone so far as to use the term flexible frameworks in place of policies."  

Lack of flexibility is a key driving force of the Great Resignation, meeting employee demand is not easy, but restrictive remote work policies could run the risk of losing top talent. Topia’s remote work technology solution can help organizations attract and retain talent in today's competitive talent landscape. Our powerful technology enables organizations to leverage a single automated remote work tool that empowers employees to explore potential remote work locations, automates remote work requests, and assesses for potential risk and compliance issues. Want to see it in action? Request a demo here.

 Download the full Adapt report here.