NEW YORK (May 12, 2020) — TopResume, the largest resume-writing service in the world, today has announced its latest survey results, revealing employees' work-from-home preferences amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Between March 23 and May 11, 2020, TopResume asked 1,018 career-driven, remotely working professionals two questions about their feelings on connectedness and future career opportunities:

  • How connected do you feel to your colleagues while working remotely?
  • Would you decline a job offer if the company refused to offer a flexible work policy?

Although stringent social-distancing rules have prohibited staff from working alongside one another since mid-March, TopResume's data surprisingly revealed that a contented 61 percent reported feeling either connected or very connected to their co-workers since the shift to home-working. Significantly, even as the U.S. faces a looming recession, 26 percent would even be willing to decline a job offer if the organization failed to offer a flexible working policy.

Regardless of industry, employees reported similar levels of workplace satisfaction. Most comfortable working from home are professionals working in human resources and legal with 72 percent saying they feel connected to their colleagues, followed by healthcare (66 percent), marketing, media, design  (62 percent), operations and general management (62 percent), and technology (61 percent).

“Before the pandemic, employees and employers, alike, may have believed that in-person 'face time' was essential for maintaining collaboration, productivity, and corporate culture, but our survey proves otherwise,” said Amanda Augustine, TopResume's career expert, certified professional career coach (CPCC), and certified professional resume writer (CPRW). “Since current shelter-at-home policies have mandated a virtual workforce, at least right now, our data proves that professionals feel connected during self-isolation. So much so, perhaps, that one in four would decline a future job offer if the company didn't offer a flexible work policy.

To help ensure co-workers feel more connected while working from home, Augustine offers three techniques:

  • Check in regularly: Messaging your colleagues in the morning or taking a few minutes at the start of a meeting to ask participants how they're feeling can make a positive impact on their well-being.

  • Share moments from your life: Encouraging teams to share photos or videos of their “real life” at home or allowing someone's pet or child to make an occasional cameo during a video call is a great way to help teams feel more connected to one another during this unusual situation.

  • Have a little fun: Socializing with one another will boost feelings of connectedness and help reduce stress during lockdown. Consider hosting a virtual happy hour or using one of the numerous apps available for playing games to have fun with your colleagues after regular “office hours.”

“The seemingly overnight switch to telecommuting has accelerated the technology-fueled trend towards a more flexible workplace that had already been steadily growing,” said Jeff Berger, CEO of Talent Inc., the parent company of TopResume. “Our findings reinforce that remote working is a viable long-term option for companies, positively impacting productivity, employee well-being, and team morale. In fact, employers who deny their staff workplace flexibility may find them choosing to work elsewhere.”

On an ongoing basis, the data science team at Talent Inc., the global leader in technology-enabled career services and also the parent company of TopResume, TopInterview, and TopCV, compiles nationwide data from their customers to better understand current behavioral trends in the job market. Visit TopResume's Career Advice blogto see their latest tips for coaching job seekers through their search.

About TopResume

TopResume, a Talent Inc. company, is the world's premier resume-writing service, analyzing millions of resumes and LinkedIn profiles each year. Job seekers work directly with professional writers and industry experts to redefine their personal brand and stand out from the crowd during the job-search process. Follow TopResume on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Lisa Hagendorf

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