By Hannah Abrams

January 4, 2022

If five years ago a fortune-teller had told you that someday in the near future, your dog would be your closest thing to a cubicle mate and your office holiday parties would be happening over Zoom, you likely would have said something along the lines of, “No way! Sir Barks-A-Lot can hardly hold a conversation, and what on earth is Zoom?”

But, here we are. Year two of a global pandemic and we’re still working from home, interfacing with our coworkers (mostly) over Slack and Zoom, and begging our neighbor Gloria to reserve her xylophone practices for after 5 p.m. And, it turns out, the majority of partnership professionals like their new normal.

But, what exactly, is the new normal?

Only 4% of the 433 partner professionals we surveyed for the 2022 State of the Partner Ecosystem Report are back in the office full time, with 65% working remotely full time and 31% adopting a hybrid model.

From the 2022 State of the Partner Ecosystem Report

Compare that to the 2021 edition:

From the 2021 State of the Partner Ecosystem Report

And the 2020 edition:

From the 2020 State of the Partner Ecosystem Report

Back to present day.

75% are satisfied with their current balance of remote and in-office work, while 22% said they wish they had more time in the office. 3% said they want more time working remotely.

So, partner professionals? Is it the sweatpants you like? The lunchtime yoga sequences? The judgment-free renditions of “We Are the Champions” every time you close a deal?

Maybe, but let’s dig a little deeper.

In the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are some positive outcomes from our “new normal”: 

Partner professionals are working fewer hours

With partner professionals continuing to adapt to new workplace situations, they’ve found ways to increase productivity and work fewer hours. 

89% of partner professionals said they are at least equally, if not more, productive working remotely. This is up from 83% in the 2021 report.

The standard workweek has also shifted for partner professionals. For the first time since our 2020 report, an equal number of partner professionals are working 40-hour and 50-hour workweeks (26%). Previously, 50-hour workweeks were the most common. 

Partner professionals are generally optimistic about job security

As partner professionals continue to navigate the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, there is more good news: 

52% of the 2022 survey-takers were either promoted or received a raise in the past year. Additionally, 83% of survey-takers are optimistic about job security, of which ​​51% are “very optimistic.”