Teleworking in digital recruitment: Trends and key statistics

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly transformed the working landscape worldwide, and the digital sector has been no exception. This sector, already booming, has had to adapt quickly to new work dynamics, including the massive adoption of telecommuting. Having become a central part of the professional lifestyle for many employees, telecommuting has gone from a "nice to have" to a "must have". For recruiters in the digital sector, understanding and integrating this reality into their recruitment strategies is crucial. This article explores the place of telecommuting in digital recruitment, its benefits, its challenges, and the key statistics that underline its importance.

Teleworking: a new standard in the digital sector

Before the pandemic, teleworking was often seen as a privilege, often limited to one day a week. Today, it has become standard practice, particularly in the digital sector. A study carried out by ADP in 2024 revealed that 54 % of digital employees in France telework at least part of the week, compared with just 29 % for all French employees. This wider adoption of teleworking in the digital sector can be explained by a number of factors, including the nature of digital work, which is often focused on tasks that can be completed online, as well as the high demand for flexibility among talent in the sector.

The hybrid work model, combining telecommuting and office presence, has become the norm for many companies. This model is widely acclaimed for meeting employees' need for flexibility while preserving the benefits of face-to-face interaction, essential to maintaining a dynamic, collaborative corporate culture.

Advantages of teleworking for digital professionals

Telecommuting offers many advantages, particularly for digital professionals. Among these advantages, time-saving is a major point: according to a 2023 Cadre Emploi survey, 77 % of French teleworkers believe that teleworking saves them time. This time, often saved on commuting, can be reinvested in personal activities or in a better work-life balance. Indeed, 73 % of teleworkers believe that teleworking improves this balance.

What's more, for digital professionals, telecommuting enables better concentration on technical or creative tasks, reducing the distractions often encountered in the office environment. This can translate into greater productivity and job satisfaction, essential elements in attracting and retaining talent in a highly competitive job market.

Recruitment challenges and solutions in a teleworking world

However, telecommuting is not without its challenges. For recruiters in the digital sector, one of the main challenges is maintaining team cohesion and a strong corporate culture at a distance. Communication and collaboration can be more difficult to manage when teams are geographically dispersed. Recruiters therefore need to ensure that new recruits fit in well with the corporate culture, even from a distance.

Companies also need to be attentive to employees' individual needs. Telecommuting is not a one-size-fits-all solution; some employees may prefer or need more structure or social interaction. A flexible approach, offering a variety of work options, is essential to attract a wide range of talent.

Teleworking as a strategic lever in digital recruitment

For recruiters in the digital sector, telecommuting is more than just a work option; it has become a strategic lever. Offering the possibility of working remotely can be a major factor in attracting candidates, especially in a sector where skills are in high demand and competition for talent is fierce.

The digital job market is constantly evolving, and companies need to be agile in their approach to recruitment. By integrating teleworking into their recruitment strategy, they can not only attract diverse talent, but also retain their employees by offering a better quality of working life.

Key figures on teleworking in France

To reinforce the importance of teleworking in the digital sector, here are three key figures:

54 % of digital employees telework at least part of the week compared with 29 % for all French employees (ADP, 2024).
77 % of French teleworkers believe that teleworking saves them time (Cadre Emploi, 2023).
61 % of teleworkers in France telework 2 to 3 days a week (Cadre Emploi, 2023).

Conclusion

Teleworking has established itself as a new norm in the digital sector, transforming not only the way professionals work, but also the way companies recruit. To remain competitive, companies in this sector need to integrate telecommuting into their recruitment strategies, taking into account the varied needs of employees while maintaining a strong corporate culture.

Sources