This is the trend that Melea Seward, director of recruiting at The Hired Guns, has seen firsthand. His company specializes in placing employees in digital businesses, particularly those “at the intersection of innovation and transformation”. With 71% of employed adults do their work from home this past December, how we balance life and work after COVID will likely be shaped this year.

“Our customers are everything from massive retailers to rambling startups and everything in between, and we’ve noticed that employees are definitely asking [flexibility]», Says Melea. “Candidates are more likely to ask for flexibility even before salary.”

Beyond salary and paid time off, the compensation programs Melea recently negotiated include everything from hotel allowances, to optional relocation packages, to travel funds. This desire for increased flexibility is also becoming the norm for those who recruit. She says. Recruitment spokes have also changed dramatically: A job recently given by Melea required applicants to live within a 300 mile radius of New York City, which could stretch as far west as rural Pennsylvania or as far north. than Burlington, Vermont – so not exactly ‘commuting’ distance.

These changes will likely make more people “digital nomads” than ever before. But instead of getting visas to work on Costa Rican beaches, Melea predicts that more people will experience this kind of lifestyle in the United States.

“The typical digital nomad was younger, often male, had the ability to cross borders without fear of reprisal, and they were social media managers, writers or engineers,” she says. “Now, I think family and closeness to other generations are of disproportionate importance. Having the flexibility of work means people will move more for connection and meaning, rather than variety of experiences. “