Principal Financial-Remote work

[cowgirl836]

BBC Dad! His name's Robert E Kelly and he's a Poli Sci professor in S. Korea. He's an interesting follow on Twitter, too.

God that was the most hilarious damn thing

 

[cowgirl836]

I'm interested in this topic, guessing you all will hate me, but here's how I see it:

When it comes to remote work, I think its important to acknowledge that every company (and each person) is different. Remote work may work well for some, and not well for others. I say this from working with 75 organizations across the country for the last 20 years.

I will say this, the organizations I see asking people to come back aren't doing so because they are evil, horrible, old man boomer types. They are doing so because the data shows a drop in productivity from remote workers and a drop in profits. Ask any individual person, and they will say " I am more productive at home", but the data from the companies I work with (including my own), doesn't show that. In our business, remote workers work less hours, and are less productive in those hours.

Here's the real issue facing remote workers in my industry, if you turn yourself into a commodity (I'll work X hours / X tasks for X pay), you are going to be replaced by someone in India or El Salvador who are some of the brightest, hardest working and ambitious people I work with.

IME, most companies don't have **** for data in that space. Time in seat and time on screen is not a 1:1 with productivity but I've yet to see one of these with data-informed focus. It's always vague **** like "culture" and "collaboration". Most of the time, it's a passive aggressive layoff.

 

[Cloned4Life]

I'm interested in this topic, guessing you all will hate me, but here's how I see it:

When it comes to remote work, I think its important to acknowledge that every company (and each person) is different. Remote work may work well for some, and not well for others. I say this from working with 75 organizations across the country for the last 20 years.

I will say this, the organizations I see asking people to come back aren't doing so because they are evil, horrible, old man boomer types. They are doing so because the data shows a drop in productivity from remote workers and a drop in profits. Ask any individual person, and they will say " I am more productive at home", but the data from the companies I work with (including my own), doesn't show that. In our business, remote workers work less hours, and are less productive in those hours.

Here's the real issue facing remote workers in my industry, if you turn yourself into a commodity (I'll work X hours / X tasks for X pay), you are going to be replaced by someone in India or El Salvador who are some of the brightest, hardest working and ambitious people I work with.

Are you willing/able to share some of the "data" that your company (or companies you know of) are using to capture/measure/compare/assess productivity?

Based on what I know of my own company and the "methods" they use to measure these types of things and how this has evolved over the years, results (and the underlying data) are far from conclusive and very easily manipulated to tell whatever story is "needed" in that moment. Sometimes, stories that are completely in opposition to each other...

 

[mred]

How many of us are hybrid or fully remote still?

We went 100% remote until April 2022. And now we are 1 day in office and 4 days remote. Maybe 3 times per year, we might have to go in more than 1 day per week.

I'm in the office 100% by choice because I personally am more efficient at work. I have many coworkers who are 100% remote (some live even closer to work than I do). We support fully remote, hybrid, and in office options, and I doubt that will change. Many of the people I directly work with are living near other office locations, and I'd be using Teams to chat with them regardless of whether they were in the office or at home.

 

[cowgirl836]

IME, most companies don't have **** for data in that space. Time in seat and time on screen is not a 1:1 with productivity but I've yet to see one of these with data-informed focus. It's always vague **** like "culture" and "collaboration". Most of the time, it's a passive aggressive layoff.

And I'll add here that when I did play in this space - the data showed a number of people-related things that DO result in higher levels of innovation and profitability - creating pathways to increase the % of women and POC in the C suite and addressing the broken rung (flexible work here and gender neutral paid caregiver leave are huge here!!!). Yet companies are slow to act or in the case of many DEI initiatives as of late - moving backwards. So I'm skeptical at best that there is a long-term profitability strategy behind the vast majority of RTO mandates.

 

[cowgirl836]

I'm in the office 100% by choice because I personally am more efficient at work. I have many coworkers who are 100% remote (some live even closer to work than I do). We support fully remote, hybrid, and in office options, and I doubt that will change. Many of the people I work with live near other locations and I'd be using Teams to chat with them regardless of whether the were in the office or at home.

I've got some friends who feel similarly - more productive in the office. And that's great - employees should be given autonomy to know what works best for themselves. And then leaders should make across the board office time intentional and focused rather than arbitrary.

 

[SCNCY]

I have a hybrid schedule. Monday and Friday at home. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the office. Although, my company is pretty relaxed to allow you to work from home if you need to on the in-office days.

 

[MJ29]

How many of us are hybrid or fully remote still?

We went 100% remote until April 2022. And now we are 1 day in office and 4 days remote. Maybe 3 times per year, we might have to go in more than 1 day per week.

Been back in 100 percent since August 2021. There is a two-day WFH hybrid arrangement for some departments, but not all. It is available for me, but I prefer to be in the office.

 

[madguy30]

I'm in the office 100% by choice because I personally am more efficient at work. I have many coworkers who are 100% remote (some live even closer to work than I do). We support fully remote, hybrid, and in office options, and I doubt that will change. Many of the people I directly work with are living near other office locations, and I'd be using Teams to chat with them regardless of whether they were in the office or at home.

I've got some friends who feel similarly - more productive in the office. And that's great - employees should be given autonomy to know what works best for themselves. And then leaders should make across the board office time intentional and focused rather than arbitrary.

Probably repeating but imo there's just nothing wrong with 'please get this done by this date, within these expectations/guidelines, any old way it works for you, just reach out with questions'.

That 'culture' is trust in someone to do their job, and still support and guidance from leadership.

 

[cyclonez7]

Work mostly remote, go into the office maybe once a month. Much better than my previous job which was 4 days a week in an office doing 95% independent work for a boss that is halfway across the country.

 

[aeroclone]

We went full remote at Covid and stayed that way until spring of 2022. We have been in a 3 days in 2 days out hybrid since then. If they could push for more time in the office I think they would, but even at 3 and 2 there is a lot of grumbling.

 

[wxman1]

Technically hybrid with no mandatory in office time other than various meetings which are mostly trips to our facility in the DFW area. Other than that I am fully remote but willing to and do go into the office in CR when it makes sense 1-3 times a month.

 

[KnappShack]

Technically hybrid with no mandatory in office time other than various meetings which are mostly trips to our facility in the DFW area. Other than that I am fully remote but willing to and do go into the office in CR when it makes sense 1-3 times a month.

Luckily they've made our DFW trips largely optional.

Which is cool. I got the dang Covid last time in DFW and it sucked. Not going again unless it's mandatory

 

[khardbored]

I find I'm more productive when I do a mix. Somehow, working mostly from home but going into the office a day or two each week makes it feel more special? I'm not sure that makes sense, but on that day in office I feel like a get a lot done because it's a new environment.

 

[jsb]

I find I'm more productive when I do a mix. Somehow, working mostly from home but going into the office a day or two each week makes it feel more special? I'm not sure that makes sense, but on that day in office I feel like a get a lot done because it's a new environment.

I don't get a lot done my day in the office. But I have a fun time. I talk with my co-workers that I like. I go get coffee and eat lunch out. It's a nice change. I'd be OK going in one more day per week, but I'd be pretty mad if I had to go into the office 3 days. Prior to COVID, we were already 2 days of work from home.

I'm also curious how people's companies are working at on-boarding new employees, especially college grads. I don't think having new people in the office is necessary for every job. But I do think it is helpful for a lot of jobs to have an in-office portion for new people. We haven't had a lot of new people since COVID, so it hasn't been an issue for me. But they've talked about new people maybe having to come in 3 days per week for the first couple of months. But then that would require someone to be in the office with them those 3 days to actually make it worthwhile. It makes sense in theory, but I wouldn't like doing it.

 

[khardbored]

I don't get a lot done my day in the office. But I have a fun time. I talk with my co-workers that I like. I go get coffee and eat lunch out. It's a nice change. I'd be OK going in one more day per week, but I'd be pretty mad if I had to go into the office 3 days. Prior to COVID, we were already 2 days of work from home.

I'm also curious how people's companies are working at on-boarding new employees, especially college grads. I don't think having new people in the office is necessary for every job. But I do think it is helpful for a lot of jobs to have an in-office portion for new people. We haven't had a lot of new people since COVID, so it hasn't been an issue for me. But they've talked about new people maybe having to come in 3 days per week for the first couple of months. But then that would require someone to be in the office with them those 3 days to actually make it worthwhile. It makes sense in theory, but I wouldn't like doing it.

I think the big dilema is that if you require new hires to be in-office for part of training, you limit your applicant pool to only those in a 50-ish mile radius.

I agree it's better in theory.

 

[CyCrazy]

I am glad I have never had an office job. Couldnt do it, I might make less but I get to be outside everyday and choose what I want to do.

 

[Gunnerclone]

I am glad I have never had an office job. Couldnt do it, I might make less but I get to be outside everyday and choose what I want to do.

Who the **** are you? Steve Irwin?

 

[CyCrazy]

Who the **** are you? Steve Irwin?

Not quite.

 

[Cyclones01]

Fully remote since March 2022 and I have no plans to ever return to an office. My company is distributed all over the world, so everyone is basically remote. We have no physical locations in Iowa and only a handful of employees that live here, so I'm not worried about any sort of RTO. I also no longer have any interest in working for a local company ever again.