Survey Finds 3 in 5 Distant Staff Search a Digital Nomad Life-style | Buff Tech

Aquent, the workforce solutions company, has released the results of its Future of Work 2022 survey for marketing, creative and design talent. With approximately 3,500 respondents, this survey explores what employees want from the workplace now and in the future.

The desire for more freedom over where and how to work continues to grow, with 60% of respondents expressing an interest in working as a digital nomad for up to 12 months in the next one to three years. However, three out of four young professionals expressed concern about their career progression: they want to know that they will still have the opportunities that they would in a traditional office environment.

“Employees have made it clear that hybrid and/or remote work is now considered a basic level of flexibility. For employers to remain desirable and able to attract the best employees, customization of packages must be considered, and one area that can give companies a real competitive advantage is supporting those who want to be full-fledged digital nomads. or they want a short period abroad.”

“To do this, these workers will need guidance and support from the company around visas, core work hours and tax guidance so they can live their best lives,” said Aliza Sweiry, CEO of Aquent at the United Kingdom. “Not everyone wants to work in the sun, and in the case of younger workers, we saw that they were concerned about having enough face-to-face time with their colleagues to be able to progress.”

The rise of the digital nomad

While many companies have moved to remote or hybrid work environments since 2020, Aquent’s recent survey found an increase in demand for a certain type of remote work: the digital nomad lifestyle. Digital nomads work fully remotely while traveling to various locations of their choosing, often including international travel for extended periods.

This lifestyle is distinct from even a more standard remote work environment due to the transient nature of the desired commute and continues to grow in popularity among workers. A surprising finding from the survey indicates that 60% of employees of all levels and ages reported an interest in digital nomad work at some point in the next one to three years.

A shift in priorities for remote workers

Aquent’s survey reveals that organizations must not only embrace the digital nomad, but also have effective processes, support systems and policies in place to ensure they are hiring and retaining the best talent.

The survey found that the needs of remote workers are evolving in surprising ways. For example, workers ranked unlimited vacations fourth in prioritizing the importance of various benefits, indicating that other benefits have become more attractive.

Persistent concerns about career progression with remote work

While increasing flexibility for remote workers remains popular with professionals of all ages, younger professionals are more likely to have concerns about their career progress in this environment.

Aquent’s survey shows that 77% of 18-24 year olds expressed concern that remote work will restrict their career progression. This concern decreases with age: 61% of workers ages 25-40, 56% of workers ages 41-55, and 54% of workers ages 56 and older share the same concern.

Methodology

Aquent’s Future of Work 2022 report reflects the results of a global survey conducted by Aquent and Vitamin T from June to July 2022 with 3,484 respondents in the fields of marketing, creativity and design. Additional data was also collected through LinkedIn surveys on the Vitamin T and Aquent company pages.

We hired Dr. Terri Horton, MBA, MA, a recognized thought leader on the future of work, to help craft the survey questions and provide feedback on the results.

About Aquent

Aquent LLC is a global workforce services company that runs the largest staffing firm specializing in marketing, creativity, and experience design. Since its founding in a dorm room in 1986, Aquent has transformed the staffing industry by going above and beyond for clients, investing in talent and pioneering new technologies and services.

In addition to the Aquent Staffing brand, the company has other business units including Vitamin T, Aquent Studios, Aquent Scout, Aquent Gymnasium, and RoboHead.