Almost two-thirds (62%) of UK workers would consider moving abroad to work remotely, research from Perkbox reveals.
The survey of full-time workers showed that of those individuals considering working abroad, 36 percent are willing to leave their current job to achieve this.
The top three reported factors contributing to this desire are:
- Worries around the rising cost of living (21%)
- Lessening faith in the government and direction of the country (15%)
- A desire to pursue a more nomadic lifestyle that blends work, travel and holiday (14%)
Over a quarter (28%) of employers have already reported an increase in requests for international working.
Employers are supportive of this move, with 75 percent reporting they trust their employees to work productively from anywhere.
Will employees moving internationally create friction within teams?
Managers must be mindful of the potential stress that will develop amongst teams if their employees begin to move abroad.
Almost half (48%) of workers said they will pay closer attention to fully remote colleagues to check they are remaining productive, according to the research from Perkbox.
Also, a third (34%) of employees expect their employer to pay lower salaries to colleagues based in countries with lower costs of living.
How should HR and business leaders react?
CEO of Perkbox, Gautam Sahgal, highlights that it is essential for employers to set expectations and create a consistent employee experience regardless of their location.
He says: “A unifying culture across borders will help employees build stronger relationships with their teams and managers”.
“This type of model is only going to become more mainstream; so the challenge and opportunity for HR teams lies in creating an environment where everyone feels part of a shared purpose or goal, whilst still having their individual requirements acknowledged and catered to,” Gautam adds.
“It’s also crucial to empower managers to reward and recognise team members in any country, even if they’re the only team member based in a certain location, so that all can feel equally seen and connected to their organisation whilst enabling values to be upheld globally. And employers shouldn’t forget the power of employees feeling seen and heard by fellow employees either. Enabling peer-to-peer recognition will help strengthen culture and mitigate tensions that may arise from remote working.”
“In the context of the great resignation, this is now well beyond a nice-to-have. As competition for top talent continues to tighten, and geographical limitations keep diminishing, organisations with a harmonised culture across borders will be in a supremely advantageous position,” says Gautam.
It is important for employees to feel equally appreciated and informed no matter their location. With the number of employees considering moving abroad increasing, pre-empting strategies to ensure employees feel connected and supported is of growing importance.
A successful strategy towards this new form of remote working will not only ensure employee satisfaction, but will allow companies to retain top talent within their organisations.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
