Commuting into the office was one of my least favorite parts of working in corporate America. The worst commute of all was with a company that actually promised me a remote job. At the time, I was living in Nashville, and they were based in Boston. Regardless of the fact that I lived a few states away, they were confident I was the right person for the job and willing to have me work remotely. "You'll just have to come into the office when we have meetings," they told me during the interview process.

Commuting into the office for meetings turned into a weekly commute that took up the majority of two days each week. Monday morning, I'd be at the airport before 6 am to catch my first flight to Newark, then another plane to Boston. I'd often arrive sometime after lunch, exhausted and weary, to my first meeting. Then, I'd spend 12 hours a day sitting in the office and attending meetings I typically dialed into - all before getting on another plane Friday afternoon to head home.

Those Friday flights were the worst. I usually couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to get any work done on the plane. I missed my connection at least 50% of the time, which meant a night in a hotel just outside the airport. Life lesson: any hotel with the word "airport" in the name is probably not a nice hotel.

Remote Work Is A Competitive Advantage

When I took that job, I couldn't imagine a world in which I could be a remote employee. It seemed like such a luxury up to that point. No one I knew had a job working from a home office. Most of the time, remote employees were completely forgotten when it came time to do a team call or brainstorm. Not much makes you feel more insecure about your role than being forgotten all the time.

Today it’s more common than ever. About 66% of roles are at least part-time remote, significantly more than pre-pandemic when remote workers made up just 6% of the workforce. Plus, candidates want remote work — 65% said they would not take a role that was in-office (no, not even hybrid).

More than a shift in statistics, we've seen a shift in perception. We all know remote workers can contribute and be just as productive as people working from an office. Even more so, we know workers are demanding a work from home job. When job seekers contact me to share that they are looking for a job, one of the most common things they mention is that the job must be remote.

How To Optimize Job Postings For Remote Work

That's why your job posting needs to be explicit about the work arrangement, whether it's remote or not. Location, just like salary, must be disclosed in the job posting because they are deal breakers. But where do you tell them? How do you make sure candidates looking for remote work might find the jobs?

First, think about how people search for remote jobs. Often, they simply put "remote" in the location. That's why I recommend recruiters put "remote" in the location field when possible. If it's a drop-down field that doesn't allow for remote, say that the role is remote in the first sentence.

Yes, it's that important.

Use a simple template like this: "As our Remote Marketing Manager making $XX,000 - $XX,000, you will..."

Oh, and don't lie. If it's hybrid, say so. If remote isn't an option, say that too. Don't hire people then bait and switch important details.