Workplace Trends To Monitor Ahead of the New Year

COVID-19 has reshaped today’s workforce for businesses and employees alike. Pieced together from a research report by Chief Economist and Director of Research at GlassDoor, Andrew Chamberlain, Ph. D, we reveal specific trends for today’s workplace that will continue to develop in 2022 and beyond. Stay cognizant of these emerging trends and discover how they pertain to you:

1. The Hybrid Work-From-Home Model

While 2020 introduced many Americans to their first experience working from home, 2021 introduced the country to the hybrid workplace, combining remote and in-person work to ease employees back into the office. However, this ‘easing’ process does not have an end date in sight and is likely a business model that is here to stay. The career experts at Zenefits explain how a hybrid workplace does not imply in-office work for everyone. It will often open the office to serve as a gathering space for monthly meetings, brainstorming sessions, or employees who need to get out of their house.

86% of workers say they would prefer to continue working from home, at least part-time, as offices reopen. (GlassDoor)

This business model also allows employers to cut costs by eliminating a large portion of their office space and improve overall productivity by eliminating commute time for employees. While there is sure to be a dip in employee connectivity and accessibility, committing to the employee-friendly hybrid business model can reduce employee turnover by up to 17%.

2. Bolstered Salary Expectations

As millions of employees move into new cities at the benefit of their company’s work-from-home policy, they open themselves to thousands of new opportunities from employers that are doing the same. Within this development, employers are strapped to the rising rates of top-performing employees and realize they must conform to remain competitive. For employees, many companies and their executive teams have adjusted not to match a big-city salary (i.e., New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) for a remote employee living in a city with a much lower cost of living. However, there is an expectation that they will still meet you somewhere in the middle. Forbes reports an expectation of 115%-120% of the candidate’s local market rate, mutually benefiting both parties involved.

3. Progress, Not Promises on Corporate DEI

The movement for employers to become a more diverse and inclusive culture has always been one full of lots of promises, but with employees and job-seekers now in the driver’s seat, today’s executives are feeling the pressure. Employers can expect action to be required and initiatives to be established to land top talent in today’s job market. According to a recent GlassDoor survey, 76% of today’s job-seekers report a diverse workforce as a critical factor when evaluating job offers.

“It’s critical to understand how different groups look at D&I from their own work experiences, reinforcing the overdue need for all employers to improve when it comes to diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace.” – Carina Cortez, Chief People Officer at GlassDoor

Wrap Up

The pandemic has accelerated the progress of pre-existing trends across several industries and the general workforce, and these three trends are just a few examples. Uncover more trends that are reshaping today’s workplace shared by the team at GlassDoor For Employers here.

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Assessing The Mortgage Industry: Top Trends & Statistics

Is the U.S. housing market overheating? Within the stability of low mortgage rates and high buyer contention, the housing market continues to be highly competitive. While it is a great time to be in the market for a loan, borrowers don’t quite have their’ pick of the litter’ like in times past. Home prices continue to rise, as does the volume of offers placed on each listing. 

“Demand is robust throughout the country, but homebuyers continue to be held back by the lack of homes for sale and rapidly increasing home prices.” – Joel Kan, MBA Economist.

After assessing various expert opinions, knowledge, and studies, we have constructed the ultimate guide to the latest Mortgage industry trends and statistics of 2021. Courtesy of the industry professionals with The Mortgage Banker’s Association, Fannie Mae, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bankrate, The Motley Fool, TIME Magazine, & more!

Mortgage Rates Staying Low

While banks and lenders compete for consumers, the lingering of favorable rates comes much to the delight of borrowers. Mortgage rates have hovered around 3% throughout 2021, and experts predict that trend to continue. While many foresee a gradual incline, the experts in Real Estate at the likes of Bankrate and Next Advisor are still forecasting rates below 3.5% through 2022.

Why are mortgage rates remaining low? Mortgage rates are also influenced by consumer demand for home loans and the lenders’ willingness and ability to adhere to the numbers. According to the Mortgage Banker’s Association & Fannie Mae, the total volume of loan originations (purchase and refinance) in 2021 is on pace for a $250 million decline (10%) from 2020. The current year is on pace to see an 11% increase in purchase mortgage originations at $1.8 trillion, but a 14% decrease in refinance originations at 2.2 trillion. With loans able to derive from any location, banks and lenders are making their best effort to beat out the competition’s low rates and hold on to their newly hired employees. 

Inventory Causing High Buyer Competition

Realtors across the country have reported seeing multiple offers come in on nearly every listing, and they expect that trend to continue through the Spring as well. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the U.S. housing market is short 3 million homes, and supply will likely remain tight for the next few years. As a result, we are experiencing the most significant annual growth in home value in over 30 years, including a 14.6% price increase from April 2020 to April 2021. Chief Economist with CoreLogic, Frank Nothaft, details how the low rates “have led to really eye-popping house price gains, and I expect that to continue.”

Why is the current housing supply unable to keep up with demand? In addition to the low mortgage rates that have new buyers emerging from every location, construction of new homes was also severely slowed by COVID-19 and has yet to get back on track. The NJ Lenders Corporation also reports that many homeowners who are removed from the big-city lifestyle are reluctant to sell their homes with the ease and comfortability they’ve found in working remotely. Homeowners are much more likely to explore refinancing to cut their monthly payments, focus on new home projects, and build more equity in their homes. Furthermore, these homeowners are well aware that choosing to reap the benefits of the seller-friendly market means they will become a part of the crowded homebuyer market.

via National Mortgage News             
(via National Mortgage News)                                                             (via Affinity Realty Group)

With sellers earning top-dollar for their listed properties, buyers need to be exceptionally savvy in hopes of striking a deal. More desirables homes, such as those not requiring renovations, encompassing ample living space and coveted amenities, are often swept off the market in 1-2 days. The mortgage reporting team at Bankrate implore consumers to enlist the support of a knowledgeable realtor to steer them through the competition. Buyers and sellers have a unique opportunity in the current market, but each must stay aggressive and calculated in their approach to capitalize. 

NOTE: In June, the volume of existing-home sales rose for the first time in five months as more houses came on the market. (Courtesy of The Balance)

A Spike in Job Openings

Despite many lenders and banks reporting a decline in the volume of loan originations, hiring is seeing a dramatic increase as the economy heals. Courtesy of the National Mortgage News: “Users of the company’s compensation system found year-over-year processor headcounts in the first quarter were up 58% from a year ago. The number of registered loan officers increased by 32%.” The search consultants at Hunter Hollis confirm this growth and anticipate high demand in the real estate, mortgage, and title industry among those seeking a career change. With interest rates expected to remain low, many organizations are experiencing various career professionals who want to get in on the action.

What The Remote Work Shift Means in Mortgage/Real Estate

Regarding Potential Buyers

COVID-19 has forced employees from all lines of work into temporary or permanent remote working environments. With the ability to operate from a home office for the foreseeable future, homebuyers have reevaluated their priorities and created new arrangements for their futures. They have more freedom than ever before when choosing where and how they want to live. What does this look like in real life? Forget the perk of dodging NYC, Chicago, LA, or other big-city rush hours; employees can ditch their current home’s upscale, costly lifestyle for a more reasonable and desirable one. Whether it is to move closer to family or find peace and safety in a rural or suburban area, people across the country are taking advantage of the opportunity. In fact, a recent study from H.R. Executive revealed that 58% of workers would “absolutely” look for a new job if they were not allowed to continue working remotely. 

Regarding Your Employees & Talent Recruitment

Talent demand is high within the mortgage and title industry, and despite the plethora of job seekers, employers are admittingly finding it hard to fill their open positions with highly skilled personnel. Employers’ ability to adapt to the times plays a significant role in keeping up with competitors and constructing a healthy recruitment marketing model. Being locked down to one location due to a job is a thing of the past. Many employers have opened their opportunities to fully remote and semi-remote positions to adhere to national guidelines and reach a higher quality of talent recruitment.

Tech Trends via The MPA

The Rise of Tech-Savvy Home Buyers: “Where some companies were reluctant to invest in tech advancements prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, most lenders now recognize the need to offer online mortgage solutions.” – Allison Leung, Maxwell Financial 

Driven by customers’ developing expectations in “speed, seamlessness, convenience, personalization, and transparency,” here are a few of the MPA’s revealed tech trends that experts presume will shape the future of the mortgage industry:

  1. Adopting API To Improve Efficiency

Mortgage lenders are taking part in the transcendence of application programming interfaces (API) to streamline business processes. From workflow automation, data accuracy assurance, and facilitated compliance, employers are making a pivotal effort to stay up to date with the latest technology trends. Leung states: “A lack of efficiency in back-office operations not only affects loan processing speeds and loan officer morale, it also has an impact on the saleability of loan products overall.”

  1. Improving Self-Service & Omni-Channel Capabilities

The digital home-buying experience is here to stay. Allowing consumers to engage with you through their preferred method of communication will open up your lead attraction capabilities. I.T. tech consulting firm, Infosys, believes that if lenders can provide “online calculators, scenario analysis tools, and open mobile communication channels,” they will see lead conversation improve. 

“For many, working with lenders that offer an online experience that allows them to get quickly pre-approved, lock in their rate and upload required mortgage documentation is a welcomed departure from the traditional mortgage process.” – Glenn Brunker, Ally Home.

  1. Increased Machine Learning (ML) & Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Infosys suggest that the adoption of ML & A.I. can increase speed and efficiency within the document-intensive process for lenders. Key examples include paperwork organization and analysis and borrowers’ salary and credit history assessment. Completing preliminary mortgage advising tasks and offering product recommendations through the use of an A.I. chatbot will remove tedious, repetitive tasks from your desk.

Homebuyers Statistics: (Pulled Directly From Mortgage Calculator)

  • First-Time Buyers– The number of first-time buyers entering the housing market fell to its lowest percentage since 1981.
  • Median Age and Income of First-Time Buyers– The average age of first-time homebuyers in the United States stands at 31, showing little to no change over the last few years. Their average annual income was approximately $68,300. The median cost of homes purchased by first-time buyers is $169,000.
  • Median age and Income of Repeat Buyers– The average age and income of repeat buyers remain relatively stable, with a median age of 53 and an income of approximately $95,000 per year. The average cost of a home purchased by a repeat buyer is $240,000.
  • Household Composition of Homebuyers– The statistical make-up of home buyers has remained unchanged over the last few years, with 65% being married couples, 16% single women, 9% single men, and 8% unmarried couples.
  • Financing Profiles– 88% of all buyers financed their purchase, with younger buyers more likely to rely on financing than consumers aged 64 or older. 93% of first-time buyers opted for a fixed-rate mortgage, with 35% financing their purchase with an FHA-backed mortgage. The average down payment for first-time buyers was 6% of the total cost of their home, while the average down payment for repeat buyers was 13%.
  • Housing Profiles– 79% of buyers purchased a detached single-family home, while 16% bought a townhouse or condo. The average home purchased had three bedrooms and two baths.
  • Average Time Between Moves– The average time a family is expected to stay in their home is approximately 13 years.

Final Thoughts

In a recent writeup for NextAdvisor, Finance Journalist Jason Stauffer surveyed what mortgage experts project for the coming months/years. Surmised from industry specialists Lindsey Piegza with Stifel Financial; Tian Liu with Enact Mortgage Insurance; Jon Bodan with Perpetual Financial Group; Erin Sykes with NestSeekers International; and Robert Frick with Navy Federal Credit Union, the most commonly relayed messages held true to these three common themes: 

  1. A slight, gradual increase in mortgage rates, but remaining below 5% for the foreseeable future.
  2. Demand has overwhelmed supply, and the low housing inventory remains the greatest concern for lenders and homebuyers.
  3. Lenders are pursuing borrowers. While potential homebuyers are experiencing decreased odds at landing their future home, lending professionals and real estate agents are enduring increased workloads.

Learning About NexGoal

Want NexGoal to help you access the often-closed community of passive candidates and start sourcing top-performing employees for your organization? We have tracked great success within the mortgage and title industry and would love to introduce you to talent we believe in! Contact our CEO, Kevin Dahl, at kevindahl@nexgoal.com to start putting your plan into action.

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Top Trends in the Medical Device Industry

The implementation of digital and remote technologies in healthcare hit its stride well before COVID-19 began, but the pandemic still greatly amplified consumer needs and propelled technology advancements. Not many fields have been as innovative and beneficial as the Medical Device arena over the past few years, and many analysts project continued improvements in the industry. Within continued technological developments, healthcare organizations across the country are streamlining their clinical and workflow management to improve efficiency and safety regularly.

“We need this [rapid technology advancement] to continue beyond COVID-19 and foster the emergence of more essential healthcare solutions, governed by a regulatory establishment that welcomes and supports continuous innovation.” -Claudio Hanna, Web Industries.

From the developments in Cybersecurity, IoMT, AI, and Robotics to the rapidly increasing hiring needs and remote work shift, we have constructed the ultimate compilation of the latest Medical Device industry trends and statistics of 2021.

*Research & statistics are courtesy of the industry professionals at ProMed, Penrod, Demigos, ATL Technology, LinchPin, Medical Design Briefs, & more!

Tech Trends Continue To Climb

1. Increased Cybersecurity

The necessity of enhanced cybersecurity is being prioritized in the healthcare sector, especially Medical Devices. Within the shift towards digital healthcare, strengthened security infrastructure is only natural. With the information exchanged between manufacturers, suppliers, and stakeholders, companies must put forth strong security measures to push back against the continually advancing tactics from hackers.

Cybersecurity firm Carbon Black reported 239.4 million attempted attacks against their healthcare customers in 2020, with “an average of 816 attempted attacks per endpoint in 2020, a 9,851% increase from 2019″ (Demigos). Stemming from this data and the reported attacks on vaccine data across the country, the FDA holds Medical Device manufacturers directly responsible for any consequences that arise due to a breach in security.

2. Expansion of IoMT (Internet of Medical Things)

Connecting I.T. with Healthcare – A large part of digital healthcare’s successful integration would not be possible without the continued advancements in connective devices. These devices are used to monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, body temperature, and more. Utilized in healthcare prevention, diagnosis, and therapy, IoMT analyzes complex data that allows sound decision-making and improves operational efficiency. Despite high costs in hardware maintenance and installation software, ProMed projects continued evolvement of IoT towards telehealth and telemedicine technologies. This shift steadily improves remote patient care through applications such as insulin and glucose meters for diabetes and electrocardiogram monitors detecting irregular heartbeats. Digitalized workflows make way for further automation and optimization, allowing healthcare expansion into areas lacking full-time hospitals.

“Healthcare providers are increasingly growing to not just accept but to truly value patient-collected data as an important piece of what goes into shaping their clinical decisions.” -Russ Johannesson, CEO of Glooko.

Hitting a value of $44.5 billion in 2018, ATR projects the global IoMT market to reach $254.2 billion by 2026. Medical Device companies are continually looking to get the upper edge in IoMT technologies, which is an encouraged competition considering improved health is the beneficiary.

3. Wearables, Sensors & Remote Patient Monitoring

Hospitals and patients alike are becoming increasingly comfortable with the use of mobile devices and technology to monitor their health. With the analytical potential of biosensors and wearables through the IoMT emergence, companies can put continued remote health procedures for patients into action. Incorporating A.I. into remote patient monitoring allows healthcare organizations to expand their treatment capabilities by linking live data to real-time decision-making. “Wearables are also in high demand for individuals that do not have a given medical condition and simply wish to improve overall wellness. As demand for more personalized wearables increases, tech companies are busy developing new innovations.” (ProMed)

Biosensors can analyze a patient’s blood and sweat, predict worsening conditions and prescribe clinical interventions. From smartwatches to digital blood pressure cuffs and heart/glucose monitors, these devices provide key benefits from reduced hospital stays, prevention of medical emergencies, and increased freedom for patients and doctors. For example, Demigos revealed a recent example of growing investments in wearables being proven to produce valuable data: “Apple Watch’s ECG feature was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to detect a condition called atrial fibrillation.”

Global end-user spending on wearable devices will total $81.5 billion in 2021, an 18.1% increase from $69 billion in 2020. (Gartner, Inc.)

4. V.R. (Virtual Reality) & A.R. (Augmented Reality)

Revolutionizing the Healthcare Industry – Within the developments of V.R. & A.R., healthcare organizations are stepping up medical training and capabilities in patient care. Virtual and augmented reality offer simulated ‘real-life’ experiences for medical practitioners to master their skills and for patient therapy treatments in vision, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and physical recovery. Medical Device manufacturers across the country utilize these technologies to collaborate in real-time from remote locations and improve knowledge retention through visuality. Revealing proven results in medical training and patient rehabilitation, V.R. & A.R. are can “reduce ‘skill fade’ by 52% and improve retention by up to 75%, compared with 10% for traditional methods.” (Demigos)

According to BIS Research, the global market for augmented and virtual reality in healthcare is expected to grow to $11.4 billion by 2025.

5. Robotics

Accelerating physician and patient assistance in surgery, rehabilitation, sanitization, and automated research, non-invasive and minimally invasive robotic systems have become a key component in healthcare. Key examples include the da Vinci Surgical Robot, the Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot, the Paro Therapeutic robot, and the Gamma and Cyber knife. At the same time, developers are making considerable progress in robotic radiation therapy. Robotic surgeries have gained preference from hospitals and patients alike. “While surgeons enjoy the precision, efficiency, control, and better ergonomics robotics provide, patients favor the smaller incisions, shorter recovery period, decreased blood loss, and reduced hospital stay that these minimally invasive procedures offer.” (Columbus Global)

After reaching $5.5 billion in 2018, the market of robotic delivery systems is expected to reach $24 billion by 2025. (Columbus Global)

The latest addition in medical robotics, nanotechnology, consists of 1-millimeter microbots utilized to “repair damaged tissue or attack dangerous bacteria or diseases, including cancer” (Penrod). Clinical researchers are making significant strides in developing these programmable microbots into a self-servicing pill for patients needing treatment.

Remote Work Shift – A Spike in Job Openings

Being locked down to one location due to a job is a thing of the past. COVID-19 has forced employees from all lines of work into temporary or permanent remote working environments. With all the resources and technologies to virtually connect a nationwide workforce, expectations have dramatically shifted for the future of remote work. As a result, employers and their human resource departments are tasked with the heavy responsibility of staying aware of the latest tech and trends to support their employees. A strong H.R. team is required in these times as it is their role to offer benefits and keep the policies in place that will bolster success and limit burnout, thus ensuring employee retention.

Demand is high within the Medical Device industry, which has led to a wide variety of career professionals looking to ‘get in on the action.’ Despite the plethora of job seekers, employers are admittingly finding it difficult to fill their open positions with the ‘right fit.’ Employers’ ability to adapt to the times plays a significant role in keeping up with competitors and constructing a healthy recruitment marketing model. New technology has allowed many employers to open opportunities to fully remote and semi-remote positions and reach a higher quality of talent recruitment.

The Medical Device industry includes nearly 2 million jobs in the U.S., with Medical Technology directly accounting for approximately 519,000 of these jobs. (AdvaMed)

Courtesy of Talent Culture, here are three tech-based systems easily accessible to employers to streamline the remote work process in H.R.

via Fortune Business Insights

Statistics & Growth Projections via Linchpin & AdvaMed

  1. The amount of medical data obtained increases by 100% about every 73 days.
  2. When collecting data for medical research, studies show that only 40% of patients are willing to share their personal information.
  3. By 2025, the use of extended reality devices is expected to reach $5.1 billion.
  4. It’s anticipated that growth in the IoMT market will continue by 30.8% annually, reaching $159.1 billion by 2022.
  5. The total economic output by the industry in the U.S. amounts to $381 billion annually. The market growth rate is expected to reach 5.6%-6.1% per year from 2021 onwards.
  6. Every $1 billion in advanced medical technology revenue in the U.S. generates an additional $1.69 billion in national economic output, almost 13,000 new jobs, and $778 million in personal income.

Research & Analysis in Medical Sales via Zippia:

  • There are over 137,653 medical sales representatives currently employed in the United States.
  • 46.9% of all medical sales representatives are women, while only 49.5% are men.
  • The average age of an employed medical sales representative is 46 years old.
  • The most common ethnicity of medical sales representatives is White (76.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.3%) and Asian (4.6%).
  • Most medical sales representatives are located in New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois.
  • Medical sales representatives are most in-demand in Atlanta, GA.
  • Medical sales representatives are paid an average annual salary of $89,071.
  • The pharmaceutical industry is the highest-paying for medical sales representatives.
  • Seattle, Washington pays an annual average wage of $92,306, the highest in the U.S.
  • A medical sales representative’s average starting salary is $59,000.
  • In 2021, women earned 95% of what men earned.
  • Vermont is the best state for medical sales representatives to live.
  • Medical sales representatives are more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.

Learning About NexGoal

Want NexGoal to help you access the often-closed community of passive candidates and start sourcing top-performing employees for your organization? Filling positions in Sales, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, Manufacturing, R&D Design, and more, we would love the chance to showcase how our industry expertise and candidate database can benefit you. Contact our CEO, Kevin Dahl, at kevindahl@nexgoal.com to start putting this plan into action.

*Reference this article, and we will promote your job openings on LinkedIn and/or Indeed for free!

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Statistics Employers Should Keep in Mind in 2021

As the job market continues to heal and the unemployment rate inches closer to the pre-COVID 3.5 percent, employers are working hard to become more marketable. With the increase of remote positions, inclusive workplaces, and upskilling, employers must finetune their brand and assure work-life balance is achievable for their team. 

Earlier this month, the team at Glassdoor For Employers pieced together 45 statistics employers need to review in order to shape a healthy recruitment model and attract top talent. We review a few of our favorites below:

COVID-19: Health & Safety

As companies continue to reopen offices and create hybrid positions, the wellness of employees cannot be taken lightly. Ensuring the proper health and safety protocols are in place is an essential piece to retaining your key employees and attracting new candidates. Beyond the tangible health and safety measures, employers must stay attuned to their responsibilities of their team’s mental health as well.

  • 86% of employees say they would prefer to continue working from home, at least in a hybrid role, when their office reopens.
  • 68% of hiring managers say remote work is working better than when they first started working remotely in 2020. Reasons included reduced non-essential meetings (70%) and increased schedule flexibility (60%).
  • The challenges of working from home: 20% cited they lack interactions and often feel isolated when working from home, and 16% don’t have a home office or dedicated space, so they feel distracted.
  • 70% agree that employees should be required to get a COVID-19 vaccine in order to return to the office.

Employer Branding

Over 85% of job-seekers admit to searching a company’s reviews before choosing to interview. Whether it is on Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, or another social platform, responding to past or present employees plays an essential role in your future hires. A strong brand will not only help you attract top talent but will help you retain your top employees as well. 

  • 86% of HR professionals surveyed indicated recruitment is becoming more like marketing.
  • 75% of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand.
  • 92% of people would consider changing jobs if offered a role with a company with an excellent corporate reputation.
  • Employee voice is 3x more credible than the CEO’s when talking about working conditions in that company.

Diversity

How much does diversity matter to job seekers? 76% of job-seekers and employees reported a diverse workforce as a critical factor when evaluating companies and job offers. In addition to the expanded creativity and innovation that a more inclusive workforce provides, the McKinsey firm also found that ethnically diverse and gender-diverse companies have proven to be more profitable.

  • About 1 in 3 employees and job seekers (32%) would not apply for a job at a company with a lack of diversity among its workforce. 
  • 71% of employees would be more likely to share experiences and opinions on diversity & inclusion at their company if they could do so anonymously.
  • Nearly half of Black (47%) and Hispanic (49%) job seekers and employees have quit a job after witnessing or experiencing discrimination at work, significantly higher than white (38%) job seekers and employees.

Work-Life Balance

As the stress and fatigue behind the 40+ hour work weeks continue to be spotlighted, the value of a healthy work-life balance is becoming more fundamental. Enhanced by the remote work shift, the blurred lines between work life and home life are a gateway to career burnout that cannot be ignored.

  • 70% of employees said that their work defines their sense of purpose. Still, only 15% of frontline managers and frontline employees say they live their purpose at work, compared with 85% of executives and upper management.
  • Employees on average are working three more hours per day than before the pandemic.
  • 41% of workers feel ‘burnt out’ at work, and 45% feel emotionally drained.
  • A survey at Imperative found that people who engage in peer coaching are 65% more likely to feel fulfilled; 67% more likely to report being a top performer; 73% more likely to report feeling a sense of belonging; and 50% more likely to expect to stay in their job for more than five years.

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Evaluating Company Culture For A Remote Position

Do you fall in line with the 75% of U.S. employees who prefer to operate in a full-time remote or hybrid position? Pursuing these remotely operating positions begs to question how job seekers can effectively evaluate company culture without seeing corporate philosophy in action. What do you do when all your interviews take place over Zoom, and you’ve never stepped foot in the office? The career experts at The Muse understood the validity of this concern and took the time to address it.

Content contributor Kat Boogaard wrote a great piece discussing the vital role that company culture still plays within a remotely operating position and how candidates can adequately assess the culture during the interview process without ever stepping foot in the door. Kat explains how, despite any salary, benefits, or growth expectation the position may meet, the overwhelming factor of company culture will still have a tremendous impact on your experience and satisfaction in the role. She recommends taking these SIX steps before you even consider accepting your next job offer. We highlight two of them here:

1. Know What You’re Looking For

Do you have your must-haves set in place for your next position? Map out your expectations in salary, benefits, and company values you want your employer to prioritize. When your interview process is fully remote, the need for a high level of preparation is magnified.

With video interviews and online research playing the most significant role in your decision, you must key in on the job factors and features most important to you. Is a healthy work-life balance your top priority? While working remotely should, in theory, make this more achievable, you still would want to find an organization that is not continuously operating. Muse Career Coach & Life Coach Annie Nogg recommends filtering down to three ‘non-negotiables’ for your job preferences.

“It’s important to understand a company’s culture because you don’t just want to join an organization where you can do work, you want to join one where you can do your best work.” -Hannah Fleishman, HubSpot.

2. Do Some Independent Research

Despite the remote process, you still have many resources and research techniques available to you. First, you can learn a tremendous deal of company history and cultural standpoints through a company’s website content. Don’t fumble when it comes to thoroughly understanding the company’s origin and core values that are easily identifiable. With your career growth and happiness on the line, you would be doing a tremendous disservice to yourself to visit every page on their website.

Second, visiting their blog will grant you access to their most recent publications, such as recent awards/achievements, a behind-the-scenes look into their corporate handlings, or other key content they want pushed out as a representation of their brand. Third, visiting their social media pages will similarly offer great insight into their company culture, brand presentation, and reputation.

Lastly, platforms where past and present employees can leave company reviews, such as Glassdoor or Indeed, will highlight general aspects of the company you may not have otherwise discovered. Additionally, many employees will provide the job title they held, which can offer specific insight into the company’s handling of your desired role. As you climb down the rabbit hole, remember to keep your three non-negotiables at top-of-mind. Use your computer’s ‘Ctrl-F’ feature to find reviews containing your keywords quickly.

Wrap Up

Understanding a company’s culture from afar adds a level of complexity to an already complicated process, but following through on Kat’s and Hannah’s advice will allow you to stay informed and keep your best foot forward!

“Especially as companies commit to remote or hybrid work for the future, it’s more important than ever for candidates to know that a company’s values, work style, and goals align with their own,” Fleishman says. “Because that’s what shapes the employee experience—whether you’re in an office or remote.”

Check out the remainder of Kat’s SIX steps to uncovering an organization’s culture without entering the office here.

  1. Connect with Current (or Former) Employees
  2. Ask Specific Questions (even if they are difficult)
  3. Observe What You Can
  4. Use the Hiring Process as Your ‘Inside Look’

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