The future of remote work is up in the air. Some employers are returning to their old ways, announcing a specific date for their employees to return to work. If employees don’t like it, they can quit or take a pay cut.

US News called this movement “The Great Return.” So what will happen when companies call their employees back into the office?

My prediction is that those with a hybrid structure may do fine. However, any company that requires a 100% in-office requirement will suffer a competitive disadvantage. In addition, these decisions on the heels of allowing remote work for two years won’t sit well with employees.

And a rigid in-office structure will make the jobs harder for company recruiters. As a result, the battle for talent is more significant than ever before. The only reason my company has a chance to secure talent is by offering remote work. Otherwise, we’d be dead in the water.

As a human resources professional, my last month passed in a blur. Things have shifted. While I’ve encountered exceptional candidates interested in our positions, we’re in the midst of a counteroffer battle.

Employees and applicants possess more power than ever before. The ball is in their court. This explains why in 2022, my hiring challenges have felt like running on a hamster wheel. We’ve had employees start at our company and continue interviewing their first week. Then, they hand in their resignation days later and disappear for $1/hr more.

Or the telltale sign of a candidate interviewing to leverage our compensation at their current company. The best way to get a raise is to interview and gauge what the market offers, right?

But there’s a saving grace to this madness for employers. And it’s remote work. Companies announcing the return to work at the office create a fantastic window of opportunity for other employers. Corporations willing to forego the traditional working method and adapt to the future will always come out ahead.

Many of my friends ask me if I think remote work is here to stay. My answer is yes.

Even if employers want to return to normal (everyone making a dreaded commute to a cubicle office), the perception of work has already shifted. The damage, or in this case, the benefits happened. And it’s too late to turn back. Additionally, perks exist for both companies and employees. So it’s not as one-sided to benefit lazy employees as executives may think.

Here’s how remote work is the best-recruiting strategy for employers.

Advertises work-life balance as a priority

Actions speak louder than words, right? So a company claiming they care about work-life balance is much different than a company implementing a remote arrangement.

According to a recent FlexJobs survey of more than 4,000 respondents working from home in response to the coronavirus, 73% said that working from home improved their work-life balance.

As a recruiter, that’s one of the most common reasons people leave their jobs. It’s indirectly tied to management. People are reluctant to say they’re working under a terrible manager. Instead, they’ll give the “professional” answer of wanting a better work-life balance, so they’re not working 60–70 hours per week.

When companies explain that they offer remote work (even if it’s a hybrid), they say multiple things.

• Cut down commute time. Whether your previous commute was five minutes or an hour, everyone saves time working remotely. A ten-step commute is always better than braving the traffic.
• We can manage remotely. Remote companies don’t need managers to manage you physically. These employers are confident and have the tools in place to work remotely. It’s nice not to have a micromanager breathing over your shoulder.
• More sleep, anyone? This is my favorite. I’ve noticed my health improve after I can squeeze in an extra hour of sleep every night. Also, I’m less tired when I start work and am generally in a happier mood.

Companies had two years to figure this out. And employers should know how to do it well. But unfortunately, some employees work more hours on a remote arrangement because their employers constantly check in on them with meetings.

Another benefit to work-life balance is spending more time with family. We can see this in getting time to eat meals together as a family. But there’s another significant time when working remotely is necessary: when someone welcomes a newborn into the world.

A 2015 study found that women experienced lower levels of depression when they could work remotely instead of heading back into the office. Staying home with your newborn child reduces your stress levels. Employees don’t have to stress sending their baby to daycare right away as they’re in the next room working from home.

My company is female-dominant. We have employees going on maternity leave every year, even within our small company. And remote work allows our female employees to experience a smooth transition on returning to work.

Why it’s here to stay:

Remote work is the best thing employers can include in a job ad. It’s a great tool to attract employees.

In my experience, a few main things attract candidates. My top 3 include:

• A posted pay range (nobody wants to guess their pay)
• Good benefits (nobody wants to worry about health insurance)
• Remote work (it’s the way of the present and future)

Employers expand their candidate pool

When an employer posts a temporarily remote job, they access a bigger applicant pool. But when a company posts a fully remote opportunity, applicants come flooding.

Mike Kiley, Fortune’s SVP of HR & Talent, acknowledged that “We were putting ourselves at a competitive disadvantage by not hiring more remote workers. If you say [a job] is New York-only, you’re limiting who you can hire.”

Opening job postings to applicants all around the country increases the number of qualified applicants per opening.

Since my company scrapped our mandatory in-office meetings, I can’t keep up with the candidates we’re getting. It’s an excellent problem to have. Most applicants will apply within the first week, and I’ve gotten over a hundred applicants over the weekend compared to the typical ten.

It’s not just the quantity but the quality. We’re receiving 10x more qualified candidates than before. Candidates came from different markets who were ecstatic to receive our advertised pay.

There’s also a side effect. Employers may go to smaller markets for talent rather than relying on people who ask for a lot of money to keep up with their cost of living.

Intelligent companies would instead open up their candidate pool than demand a return to the office strategy.

Why it’s here to stay:

Removing geographic boundaries may mean more initial work for recruiters or hiring managers. I do have to spend a lot more time reviewing candidates than before.

But the payoff is there. There are more applicants to choose from and, therefore, more talent to select.

It helps employees save in big, bold letters

Remote work saves employees a lot of money, especially in a climate where gas prices skyrocket. Working from home also provides more flexibility in how you structure your day.

When I sat down and crunched my numbers, I realized that I quickly saved $400 per month thanks to remote work. I started pumping gas once a month rather than once a week. My car insurance plummeted. But it was also the little things that started adding up: buying less food, purchasing fewer clothes for a business casual wardrobe, and saving money on travel.

But most important, remote work allows employees to buy back their time. Not suffering through a commute means people can devote those extra hours to whatever their heart desires. Over the past two years, I’ve dedicated my spare commute time to activities I claimed I never had enough time to do, like exercising. But I also poured my energy into working on my side hustles to create multiple income streams.

Instead of employees struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, they start conversations about buying houses and starting families. The main reason for this change is that more people can afford to make these big life decisions.

Why it’s here to stay:

It’s not just employees who can benefit. Employers are saving money too.

According to Global Workplace Analytics, a typical employer can save about $11,000 a year for every person who works remotely 50% of the time. This remote work lifestyle is a win-win situation from increased productivity, reduced turnover, and fewer real estate costs.

Final Thoughts

A quick recap on how remote work is here to stay as a company’s best-recruiting strategy:

Advertises work-life balance as a priority. Applicants breathe a sigh of relief when I confirm the position is remote. They know they can escape the grind of a grueling commute and unproductive face time at the office.

Employers expand their candidate pool. Allowing employees to work remotely means you can select talent that you were limited to before. Companies embracing remote work will see an increase in the quantity and quality of applicants.

It says we want you to save in big, bold letters. Remote work feels like a pay raise. Because it is. Your expenses go down, and you can invest those savings (financial and time) to bigger and better things.

The tide is turning with employers announcing a return back to the office. I get excited with these announcements because it means my company can poach its employees.

Why not offer a win-win situation for everyone with remote work? It’s the best of both worlds: the best advertisement to attract candidates and a fantastic retention tool.