Fifty-three per cent of financial adviser firm employees are set to work remotely in the long-term, wholly or at least in part, according to new research from Intelliflo.

A study from the software provider also revealed that 59% have not yet returned to the office in any capacity, and that by the end of the year there will still be a quarter (25%) that have not stepped back into the office.

The figures come after advisers and support staff have transformed their ability to work remotely over the last six months, Intelliflo suggested, with 84% of adviser employees saying they are now fully optimised to work from home – compared to 47% prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The poll, carried out between 30 July and 6 August, surveyed 237 employees from roles including owners, mortgage and investment advisers, paraplanners, compliance, finance, and admin. 

When asked about how remote working would benefit advisers, Intelliflo also indicated that more client time was a “clear theme”. By not commuting, respondents revealed they had been saving an average of 60 minutes per day – time that more than half (52%) of advisers have spent with clients instead. Another 38% believe they will benefit from being able to target more clients nationwide. 

The study also found that more than a third (36%) of advisers would consider permanently adjusting their service proposition – such as providing a virtual advice service – to suit remote working. 

Intelliflo CEO, Nick Eatock, commented: “It’s important that advisers have the flexibility to choose a way of working that benefits them and their clients, and technology is a crucial enabler of this.

“It’s encouraging to see from our data that the adoption of technology is up from both advisers and their clients, with almost four times as many clients logging into their portal now compared with earlier this year.

“We’re expecting this to mark a permanent shift in the way that advisers operate in the future. Advisers can now reap the benefits of working remotely, helping them to become more agile and efficient without comprising on the value they deliver to their clients.”

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