Is That Position Really Location-Independent? Watch Out for Remote-Washing in Job Listings

The future of work is a vast, unexplored and confusing place sometimes. For both job-seekers and companies, it’s daunting to navigate work from home, hybrid and back-to-the-office procedures, guidelines and expectations. This confusion has become obvious on job boards across the internet, where job seekers struggle to identify what type of work they are applying for — is this job really remote? Will I move to my preferred location only to have them change their minds and expect me to start hybrid work?

Data from Indeed reported in The Times U.K. shows that employers posting jobs have been remote-washing their posts: Of the Irish job posts on their site in August 2021, 91% of job postings mentioned remote work. But 59% of those were linked to Dublin. This leads to confusion for job seekers, who aren’t sure how remote is remote, and whether the companies are generically slapping the label on the job without specifics that will greatly matter to the employee.

“As a CEO, I have noticed that my competitors are ‘remote washing’ and deal with this as an employer too,” said Garrett Hayes, founder of Birding Hub, an online platform for bird enthusiasts. He says he has lost “good talent” due to remote-washing. “It is a situation where employers are suffering under the Great Resignation and are desperate to retain their employers, by drawing them in and then changing the perks.” He and his employees hope that people will see through ultra-shiny offers from others who are remote-washing their posts. Here’s how they can do that, and what companies need to do to be more transparent.

Employers need to clarify what they need

As Hayes has found, the power is in the job-seekers’ hands, as they scan job boards for attractive opportunities. “Workers within industries that have thrived in remote environments have seen that they have bargaining power too,” he said. So instead of lamenting that it’s hard to find strong employees in the great recession, companies have to get clearer on what they really need, and communicate it explicitly in job posts to prevent accidental or intentional remote-washing.

Karin Reed, author of Suddenly Hybrid and the CEO of Speaker Dynamics, a corporate communications training firm, says that the leadership teams at many companies are going through a “self-identification” process, trying to figure out the logistics of future work. “There are those who want to be in the office 9-to-5, Monday through Friday, and there are organizations who are happy to have them, and [other] organizations that will say they are fully remote…but the majority of employees are seeking the middle ground, the hybrid work,” she said. “The danger for organizations is if they say they are hybrid but only in name, but haven't provided the proper policies and strategies and technology to support it.”

It’s unlikely organizations are trying to “trick” people with the posts, but more that they don’t have a “clearly defined path forward in terms of how they are going to allow their employees to work,” Reed explained. “The book is still being written on hybrid work.” In the meantime, employees can take specific steps to ensure they don’t find themselves far along in an interview process, or even employed, before realizing the position is not as remote (or in-person) as they thought.

Job hunters need to be their own advocates

To avoid falling victim to a bait-and-switch job offer that, soon after hiring, results in a change of venue or expectations, be your own advocate. Reed recommends discussing or watching how the organization runs their meetings. Candidates should see if "people are expected to be fully in person for any meeting, and if that’s the case, that would be a signal that they’re not on board with the idea of hybrid,” she said.

Additionally, she recommends asking if there are set hours that people are expected to be available to understand if they have structure to their hybrid policies. “That is a good sign that you will have flexibility in your work arrangement that will be fully supported by the policies that are set by the company.”

Advocating for yourself early on in the job hunt can mean carefully reading posts for inconsistencies in expectations, and clearly asking questions that will help you understand expectations, both immediately after being hired and into the months and years to come.

Visit the site and check out a meeting

You’ve probably been in a virtual meeting, with some in-person employees, and struggled to have a true voice in the conversation from home as a hybrid worker. This has a name — meeting equity (or inequity), Reed explains, and is a red flag of a company that isn’t truly set up and able to value hybrid and remote workers.

“If you are given an opportunity to go on site, I would take a look at the meeting rooms. Do they have the tech setup for meeting equity? Where people are able to participate in full regardless of the location?” she said. “Do they have big monitors on the wall to visually represent remote attendees…audio systems that allow everybody to be heard regardless of where they are seated?” She also says “collaboration equity” is important, meaning that all employees can access the same information whether remote or in person. A “tip off” that might signal collaboration inequity is more physical whiteboards and no virtual whiteboards in meeting spaces.

Use your critical reading skills

“It is critical that you read job adverts properly before submitting your resume,” David Bitton, Co-Founder and CMO at DoorLoop, a property management software for the real estate PropTech industry, said. “Look for companies that provide detailed information regarding the extent, style, and characteristics of the remote work listed. It is also best to read through the reviews written by prior candidates or employees to learn more about the company and whether they have a history of misleading people in the past.” He says he believes companies are writing misleading posts to “be more enticing” but that it is also a “complete waste of time.” He hopes employers will define specific remote work parameters to save both the company and candidate time and resources, and prevent miscommunications.

You might also look for red flags in the language the company is using within the post, such as “within driving distance” according to Anjela Mangrum, founder and president of Mangrum Career Solutions and a Certified Personnel Consultant. She says in addition to deceptive posts, some are labeled “fully remote” but are only open to specific regions. “This is because companies must pay taxes, insurance, beenefits, and other fees for whatever state their employees are in. Have their workforce off-site but in a single state helps lessen the effort and costs of abiding by tax and labor laws that vary…”. Finally, she recommends finding out if the remote arrangement is temporary or not, and to clearly state your needs early on in the interview process.

All our experts recommended moving forward with some degree of grace and flexibility — everyone is just figuring it out. With a little time and patience, it’s likely that inaccurate job postings, and general confusion around remote, hybrid, and office expectations will even out. “It’s a much more complex communication environment that requires a strategic approach —most companies have not figured it out yet so it requires job seekers to be mindful of that,” Reed says. But, of course, not at the expense of your own best interests.

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