Dive Brief:

• The pandemic-driven disruptions have made half of North American tech professionals more interested in remote work than before, according to Hired's State of Remote Work 2020 report, which surveyed 2,200 tech workers and 300 companies and was released April 28. Just 5% say they're now less interested in a remote position.
• A looming recession pushed 43% of tech professionals to actively search for new job opportunities, while another 35% said they are moderately open and willing to take a call with potential new employers. 
• The majority of businesses continue to hire, with 68% reporting active hiring. In certain verticals — such as e-commerce, cybersecurity and delivery services — an uptick in usage is driving demand for talent as businesses strive to maintain critical infrastructure.

Dive Insight:

Once the pandemic subsides, work is unlikely to look the same as it once did. The change starts with the office itself, with one-quarter of CFOs considering a reduction in real estate footprint and half of companies planning to make remote work a permanent option when feasible.

In turn, the shift impacts how companies approach recruitment. In tight labor markets, the ability to recruit from anywhere opens up new sources of talent. "The shift toward the adoption and prevalence of remote work is going to present substantially more opportunity for IT professionals," said Hired CEO Mehul Patel in an email to CIO Dive. "We're removing the geographical constraints that have limited their options for so long."

For employers, remote work becoming the norm provides access to a larger, more diverse global talent pool as they look to expand, Patel said. With recession scenarios looking more likely, businesses aiming to expand may require additional tech spend to enable remote work in the long term. A key area for investments are collaboration tools, which experts say can help to build trust in a distributed workforce.