Over a quarter (28%) of UK employers are planning to hire staff who are fully remote according to new research released*

16% of employers said that remote hiring was a new policy within their organisation, whilst 12% of employers said they have always hired remote staff.

The research, based on a survey of over 22,700 employers and professionals found that remote hiring was higher in the capital, with over a third (36%) of employers in London planning to hire fully remote staff, followed by over a third (34%) of employers in Scotland.

Similarly, remote hiring intentions increased across industries as over half (53%) of employers hiring tech professionals plan to hire staff who are fully remote, followed by 43% of employers who are hiring for HR roles.

Hiring staff for skills rather than location looks set to increase as over a third (36%) of employers say it is now less important that a candidate is based close to the workplace compared to before the pandemic.

No plans to lower pay for remote workers
According to the research, 85% of employers say the salary for remote employees will remain the same as those based in the office. 8% said they intend for salaries to be higher for remote staff, whilst 8% say salaries will be lower. This rose to 15% of employers in London who said the salary would be lower for remote employees.

Only 11% of employers in London said they have or are considering removing London weighting allowance on salaries.

In a separate poll conducted by Hays, which received over 2,100 responses, 80% of respondents said they don’t believe fully remote workers should be paid less than in office workers.

Simon Winfield, Managing Director of Hays UK & Ireland, said: “As employers adjust their hiring plans to a post pandemic world – it’s encouraging to see over a quarter are hiring for remote roles. Not only does this give employers access to a wider talent pool at a time when competition for staff is high – it also opens up opportunities for those who might have accessibility issues, or neurodivergent talent who might feel more comfortable in a remote environment.

For employers who are struggling to hire the talent they need, it’s time to think about which roles within your organisation could be done remotely and to what extent. There’s lessons to be learnt from tech employers who have been early adopters of remote and distributed working as employers who are prepared to be flexible and open-minded about where their talent is located will have a better chance at closing the skills gap.”

*Hays