No Fluff Jobs, the most transparent IT job board, has published the “Remote and hybrid work in IT” report. This report contains the results of a survey of employees who worked from abroad in the past 3 years, either because they were on a (work) trip there, moved there or lived as digital nomads. The research shows that the combination of work and travel has increased in popularity in recent years. Although the corona pandemic was the basis for this, it has also become clear that work-from-anywhere is becoming the norm. Many IT professionals find it important to choose when and where they can work. They prefer to do this in a beautiful place by the sea.
Many employees decide to organize their work in such a way that they get more value from life outside. The research distinguishes three types of travel-loving employees:
Digital nomads, people who live in different places around the world for a certain period of time and at the same time simply work in their country of origin;
Workationers, people who work for a certain period from an organized stay in a place other than their permanent residence and combine their work with holiday activities; and
Emigrants, people who permanently move to a permanent place of residence abroad, but continue to work in their country of origin.
No Fluff Jobs conducted a survey among Europeans working in IT in the period March-June 2023. Of the 944 responses collected, 517 were selected as the basis of the report. Two groups were surveyed: digital nomads and workationers. The main findings of the study are:
IT professionals want more freedom of choice for the work location. Work from Anywhere is the new credo. In the past 12 months (March/June 2022 – March/June 2023), all respondents worked across the border. Nearly 20% of digital nomads logged in from 4 or 5 countries and more than 13% even worked from more than 5 countries. Moreover, working from one country is not the same as working from one location. Many digital nomads say they work from different countries (43.4%), but also travel a lot within those countries (46.1%).
IT professionals appreciate the flexible working hours. For 49.5% of respondents, this is the main reason for living as a digital nomad or a workation. In addition, they mention 'the passion for travel' (40.2%), a 'better quality of life in other places' (31.7%) and the 'enjoyment of the holiday feeling' (30.4%) as motivation. Digital nomads mainly work remotely because they love to travel. It is more important for workationers to have more flexibility in their work. The idea of 'working in the sun instead of in the office' is also the reason for many of them to choose a workation.
Digital nomads don't go far from home. Most of them travel to and in Spain (40%), Germany and Italy (both about 30%). The real globetrotters prefer the US (15%) and Thailand (5%). The holiday feeling is important here: 64.5% of the respondents prefer to stay near the sea. In addition, mountains (43.7%) and cities (40%) are popular destinations.
A stable and powerful internet connection is a must. This is therefore the most important requirement for a destination for 64.2% of the respondents. In addition, travelers also look at the weather (63.5%) and cost of living (62.8%). Convenience is surprisingly low on the wish list: only 10% consider obtaining visas or the availability of workplaces important.
Happy employees are better employees. Digital nomads and workationers find themselves more productive, more creative and experience more job satisfaction. They also suffer less from burnout. This makes employers want to accommodate digital nomads and workationers.
Chetan Fatingan, senior marketing specialist at No Fluff Jobs: “The past few years have been a time of reappraisal and changes in priorities. Employees have become more focused on taking care of their own well-being and see work as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. An important requirement of employees has therefore become flexibility of both place and time of work, and such a mode is made possible, among other things.
