♿️ WFH boosts disabled workers

Good Morning,

There was a lot of positive reception to the 4dayweek.io job board last week; it’s going to be very interesting to see how quickly the 4-day week grows over the next several years.

Another favorite resource for job seekers, also not strictly for remote work, is Adam Karpiak, who writes the Jobseeking is Hard newsletter. Adam’s an experienced and popular recruiter (500K+ audience on LinkedIn), who often shares humorous takes on the hiring experience.

Data unfortunately continues to show a uniquely difficult environment for job seekers — so for those of you actively searching for your next remote or hybrid role: we’re working diligently to add more jobs to the job board, we’re finding more discounts on job seeking services, and we’ll continue sharing the best tips, tricks, and tools to help you find your next job.

Remote Source Job Board

Featured companies:

OutSystems: 14 remote jobs
Veeam: 50 remote jobs
Linear: 15 remote jobs

🤝 Find Remote Jobs Here

Need to Know

✌️ Big tech lost executives due to RTO
Last week, we shared survey data that showed 37% of executive job seekers decided to look for jobs specifically because their company had mandated time in the office.

To that point, an extensive economic study constructed by The University of Michigan, Ipsos Public Affairs, and The University of Chicago shows conclusive evidence that return-to-office policies increase outflow of senior talent, and that this senior talent is most likely to go work for direct competitors.

This is the most powerful study I’ve read covering the impact of RTO policies. Everybody knows, anecdotally, that executives generally want employees back in the office, and most employees don’t want to return to the extent they’re required to.

But this is the first time we’ve seen data showing the impact these policies have on talent — and importantly for these companies — senior talent, which is often a driving force behind these companies’ competitive advantages, culture, and more.

If these trends are happening at big tech companies, they’re most certainly happening across the tech landscape, and likely in different industries as well. We knew employee morale, efficiency, and more take a hit with office requirements, but now we can add employee tenure, executive retention, and competitive advantage to the list. Why do companies keep enforcing a return to the office?!

These insights are from a dense, 17+ page economic research paper, but it’s totally worth your time if you’re as much of a nerd about this as I am! (University of Chicago)

😔 Remote workers feel more disconnected
Employees are less likely to connect meaningfully with their colleagues in today’s remote environment. On one hand, it shouldn’t really matter — people should be able to dictate who and under what circumstances they invite people into their lives.

But on the other hand, people generally do want to experience a sense of belonging at the workplace, and engaged employees are happier and more productive.

There doesn’t seem to be a perfect solution. Returning to office might boost in-person interactions, but office employees spend 25% of their time on virtual meetings, vs. only 8% on in-person meetings. And that’s data published by a commercial real estate group!

Loneliness has climbed in recent years, and unfortunately companies’ remote policies may be a factor. Companies and individuals haven’t quite figured out the best ways to live while working in virtual environments.

It’s likely to improve as we settle into new work norms, but in the meantime, it’s especially important for individuals to proactively seek out meaningful connections, and for employers to create space for intentional connections to be made — whether virtually, at company offsite meetings, or in hybrid environments. (Wall Street Journal)

🏦 Regulators cause banks to go back to office
Before the pandemic, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) had policies that required office inspections for major banks. During the pandemic, they paused those requirements so banks’ employees could work from home.

Now, they’re reverting to pre-pandemic policies, with a caveat: any home offices need to be formally registered with regulators, and remotely inspected at least once every three years.

Banks like HSBC, Citi, and Barclays don’t think it’s worth the hassle, and they’re now going to require employees to work from the office 5 days a week. (Fortune)

👨🏻‍💻 What to know about starting a career remotely
This Gen Z writer has found success as an early-career remote worker, but identifies three big problems with working remotely at this stage: (1) isolation, (2) distractions, and (3) communication gaps.

He’s overcome these problems with several strategies:

• Working remotely from new places

• Working remotely with friends

• Joining clubs and intramural sports teams

• Rethinking his daily routine

• Removing entertainment devices from his space

• Setting home office workspace boundaries

• Taking notes and getting clear project instructions

• Reviewing similar projects to his assignments

Entry-level jobs are notoriously unlikely to come with fully-remote flexibility. For those new to the workforce who aren’t familiar with traditional daily work routines, these can provide a solid foundation when starting new roles. (Harvard Business Review)

♿️ Remote work helps employees with disabilities
The employment rate among people with disabilities has recovered much more strongly than the rate of non-disabled workers since the beginning of the pandemic.

Expanding the talent pool is often one of the big reasons companies put remote policies in place — but one sometimes-overlooked segment of the population this can include is those with disabilities.

Remote work has allowed, at minimum, hundreds of thousands more people with disabilities to participate in the workforce in ways they may not have been able to prior to 2020.

And given the prevalence of long covid in our population, it’s even more important today to ensure remote work policies are specifically supporting employees who don’t have the ability to work in a traditional office setting. (Psychology Today)

Stuff We Like

📝 99.7% off three months of CakeResume
Last week we reached out to CakeResume, one of the premier online resume builders. They’ve kindly offered to give our readers 99.7% off the first three months of their Quarterly plan with the link provided here. Check them out! (CakeResume)

👀 Make sure your resume gets seen
Here’s what this article from Fast Company suggests:

• Optimize your resume with keywords and phrases unique to the industry and role you’re applying to

• Include clear resume sections

• Choose a clean and simple design

• Avoid images and complex graphics

• Select the right file type: usually a PDF, unless the application states otherwise

Most HR employees agree that applicant tracking systems (ATS) can screen out qualified candidates if those candidates don’t submit ATS-friendly applications. But with these tips in place, you should be able to ensure your resume makes it past that crucial first step. (Fast Company)

📈 High Yield Harry’s Newsletter*
If you work in finance or you’re interested in keeping up with the financial markets, this newsletter is for you. What began as a funny finance meme account has morphed into an educational — but still entertaining — newsletter. (High Yield Harry’s Newsletter)

*Denotes a sponsored or affiliate link. Any paid sponsorships, products, or services are thoroughly vetted by us before we make recommendations to readers.