By Cara Siera
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a distinct pivot in the history of remote work. Before that time, remote, computer and telephone-enabled jobs were available, but they could be described as few and far between. During pandemic lockdowns, however, every conceivable position became remote overnight. Since then, many workers have opted to retain their remote status.
That’s the history of remote work, but what does its future look like? Below, we’ll consider expert predictions regarding where current remote work trends will lead. We’ll also discuss some of the in-demand skills for remote jobs that work-from-home/work-from-anywhere enthusiasts should cultivate to facilitate remote work now and in the future.
Current Trends and Future Predictions
According to a survey by Robert Half, fully remote positions increased from 10 to 15 percent of all U.S. jobs during 2024. During the preceding year, fully-in-office jobs declined from 83 to 66 percent of U.S. jobs. Forty-eight percent of job seekers said they preferred a hybrid setup, while just over a quarter sought fully remote positions.
This indicates that remote work isn’t just a holdover from the pandemic—it is still on the rise. What does the next decade hold? Consider the following predictions.
Remote Schooling Prepares Some Students for Remote Work
Most news reports about distance learning for elementary through high school students focus on the negative consequences, such as academic struggles, truancy, and strains on emotional and mental health.
It should be noted, however, that some students thrive in the virtual classroom. Louisiana State University even noted areas in which online education prepares students for future remote roles, fostering soft skills such as responsibility, self-discipline, time management, virtual communication, collaboration, and technical computing skills. We’ll talk more about these skills in a later section.
What About the “Back to Office” Push?
In 2024 and 2025, numerous big-name companies such as Amazon, JPMorgan, and Salesforce issued return-to-office (RTO) mandates, requiring restoration of the five-day, in-office workweek. Employees who refused to comply could be terminated.
Some experts thought this was the death knell of remote work. But this trend has been met head-on by workers’ shifting preferences. WTW’s Global Benefit Attitudes Survey reported that 53 percent of respondents insisted that they would change jobs within a year if required to return to the office full-time. Nearly half said they’d be willing to take a pay cut to retain their flexible schedules.
The result of this clash has been a compromise of sorts. According to another WTW survey, the 2024 Flexible Work Models Pulse Survey, 61 percent of U.S. companies now have formal policies enabling hybrid work. These require in-office attendance for a minimum number of days each week, with remote work possible on the remaining days.
Gen Z Will Lead the Charge
Prakash Mana, CEO of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) provider Cloudbrink, told Forbes earlier this year, “Gen Z, the first true digital-first generation is fast becoming the primary new talent pool.”
Gen Z workers tend to value flexibility and work-life balance more than previous generations. They are also intimately comfortable with using the technologies that facilitate remote work and quickly adopt new ones.
Going Where No Remote Work Has Gone Before
Remote work is popping up in unexpected places. For example, nearly 20 percent of new healthcare positions are fully remote or hybrid. While visiting a family member in the hospital, I was surprised by a chime that signaled a remote patient monitoring session. Intake and discharge information can now be handled by video conference, and nurses can virtually check on inpatient rooms.
Similarly, telehealth visits increased by 766 percent during the first three months of the pandemic, according to Pubmed. Retaining these expanded telemedicine services has allowed better healthcare outcomes for numerous underserved communities and alleviated the strain on the medical system.
There are also service providers that you would traditionally visit in-office, such as legal counsel or travel agents, that have pivoted to video conference appointments.
Staying Relevant in a Remote World
The above statistics plainly illustrate that remote work is here to stay. Despite pushback from some companies, workers now demand the flexibility of a hybrid or remote work schedule. Technology has kept up, providing the speed and security necessary to work from home offices or coworking spaces.
What skills will you need to continue cultivating in order to keep pace with the future of remote work?
- Technical skills. Stay abreast of emerging technologies, including computers, cloud services, smart devices, collaboration software, and any tools specific to your industry.
- Communication. Practice clear, concise written and video communication. Learn video and email etiquette, and live by it.
- Discipline yourself. Success in a less structured work environment takes a lot of self-discipline. Create a neat, tidy, dedicated workspace. Schedule your working hours and stick to it. Use calendars and digital tools to keep track of your tasks and deadlines. Limit distractions from pets, family, and media.
- Don’t neglect your work-life balance. When your home is your office, it can be a challenge to ‘leave work at work.’ Create rituals to mark the beginning and end of your workday. Turn off work devices or accounts when you’re not on call. Take care of your physical and mental health by getting plenty of sleep, exercise, nutrition, and recreation.
When you do these things, you’ll remain prepared to advance your career and live life to the fullest during this decade and for many more years to come.
Additional resources
