What are the best opportunities for remote work?

Working from home, once a rare perk, has become commonplace in the wake of the COVID pandemic. Many high-performing companies have transitioned to fully remote operations. As jobs once previously thought to be “in-person” evolve into remote opportunities, jobseekers have more options when it comes to finding a role they can fill from a home-based office. 

While many companies adopt greater workplace flexibility, some offer more substantial support than others. The best remote companies to work for follow flexible work arrangement best practices, and they understand workplace flexibility means different things to different people. They also provide the support and tools work-from-home employees need to be productive and consider the barriers that may impact a flexible approach.

Flexibility gives employees more control over how, where, and when they work. But the benefits of remote work don’t stop there. Employees at the best work-from-home companies also enjoy many advantages.

Better productivity and focus: The work environment plays a significant role in productivity and focus. Removing distractions such as noise level and office politics enables employees to accomplish more at home than in the office.

Greater job satisfaction: Finding work-life balance contributes significantly to job satisfaction because employees have more control over their work schedule. The added flexibility to run necessary errands, take the kids to school, and go to the gym reduces stress and helps them to remain focused while working.  

Reduced expenses: For employees, the cost of commuting to work adds up, from gas and food to childcare. For employers, it’s expensive to maintain a physical office space. Employees and employers can save a significant amount of money with a work-from-home arrangement.

Work from anywhere: Working from any location is one of the most fantastic perks the best remote companies offer. This provides employees with flexibility and enables companies to expand their talent reach.

In the past, fully remote companies typically fell within the telemarketing and IT industries. But remote work looks very different now than it did just a few years ago. Many office-based sectors are expanding their job offerings to remote work, recognizing that this shift is vital to stay competitive in the job market.

A recent Flexjobs study revealed that some of the best work-from-home companies include:

1. Computer & IT
2. Accounting & Finance
3. Marketing
4. Medical & Health
5. Project Management
6. Customer Service
7. HR & Recruiting
8. Sales
9. Administrative
10.  Education & Training

Certain positions offer jobseekers more flexibility with an increasing number of work-from-home roles. Flexjobs reports these popular job titles for people looking to work from home:

1. Accountant
2. Customer Service Representative
3. Nurse
4. Project Manager
5. Recruiter
6. Teacher
7. Web Developer
8. Writer

Bob Helbig is media partnerships director at Energage, a Philadelphia-based employee survey firm. Energage is The Washington Post’s partner for Top Workplaces.