Is Remote Work and Training Only for Managers and Bosses?

Currently, 80%–90% of the U.S. workforce claims that they want to work remotely at least part-time, while only about 50% of the workforce has a job that is currently compatible with remote work opportunities. And most employees who do work from home on a regular basis earn over $60,000 annually and are within the upper 80^th percentile of all employees.¹

Should we therefore assume that remote work and remote training is only for those who have office jobs or who are managers and bosses? Well … not necessarily.

Understanding Remote Work in 2018

While most remote workers at the moment are likely to be office-based managers over the age of 45 who are college-educated and earn more than $60,000 a year, a large number of companies across industries are beginning to expand their pool of remote workers to include most of their workers.¹ In fact, according to a recent survey, nearly two-thirds (63%) of companies today rely on remote workers across roles and departments. And that trend is only growing.

Talent is the #1 priority for organizations, according to a recent LinkedIn survey of L&D professionals. And, over 25% of the L&D professionals polled said more of their companies’ budgets will be devoted to L&D. We want to know which L&D training areas you plan to invest training dollars into for the coming year. Click here to take a quick survey!

Advances in technology are changing the shape of many occupations across industries and saving organizations a lot of money. And overall, work-at-home occupations are growing 10 times faster than the rest of the workforce, including jobs that don’t take place in an office such as farming and engineering occupations.¹ So, in the not-so-distant future, expect to see a lot of remote opportunities pop up for roles in various industries.

Understanding Remote Training in 2018

Ninety-eight percent of all companies plan to use e-learning for their employees’ training and learning and development by 2020. And most companies, both large and small, already do. With the rise of smartphones and economical cloud-based learning platforms, employees already expect to access learning content 24/7 from their mobile devices, regardless of where they are. So, remote training is already here in full force across all industries and occupations.
Construction workers are using virtual reality training to navigate simulated construction sites, while surgeons are using it to practice complex operations, and UPS drivers are using it to train for driving in hazardous conditions. And employees from all industries are accessing microlearning modules from their smartphones to do everything from hone their leadership skills to learn how to operate machinery or run company operations.

Conclusion

While most remote workers now are managers or hold office-based positions, statistics and workplace trends suggest that it will not be this way in the next 5 to 10 years. And remote training is already well-established across industries and occupations and is quickly becoming the norm. Don’t fall behind—be sure to implement both remote work opportunities and remote training opportunities at your organization to stay ahead.

1. com. Latest Telecommuting Statistics. Accessed 4/5/2018.