I have worked in the technology and healthcare industry for my entire adult life. It’s always amused me how things change, but still stay the same. The one constant in the universe is the slow, glacial pace, at which business leaders accommodate change. With COVID dramatically altering the business landscape they still haven’t caught onto how it impacts their business. Prices are high, and jobs a plentiful. It’s not just the food that’s gone up in price, it’s the labor. If you want good help it’s going to cost you, and we’re not living in the office anymore.
This is my little way of hoping the message gets back to leadership that times have changed. Some people like the office, and some people don’t. What has always annoyed me is that when I was in an office, I’d lock my door, and get on conference calls from the time I got there till the time I left. If I had any face-to-face interaction, it was to talk about the weather, not about the work. So, spending $500.00 per month in gas (that was pre-Covid) and three hours of my life on the road every day just doesn’t make sense anymore.
I’m not alone. A growing number of the Great Resignation are people being told by leadership that they have to start driving back into the office. These folks look at daycare costs, fuel costs, bad food, and other expenses, as well as their work roles and go “what the hell for?” They then quickly find that they can do the same job for someone else at a higher salary and not bother leaving home.
Some small to medium organizations seem to have caught on. However the big players are still struggling with the concept. For example, I work for a company that divested themselves of their real estate holdings, saving millions, and gaining capital in the process, by moving to a mostly remote workforce. That doesn’t mean that we don’t sometimes meet face-to-face, but it certainly lowers the overhead.
I know, there are managers our there saying, “but how do I know they’re productive, unless I see them working?” My response is “How do you know they’re productive if you see them working?” I’ve seen a lot of unproductive people in my time look busy as hell. It’s not about looking busy, it’s about moving the ball. Too many people create a whole lot of commotion, and accomplish nothing while calm cool waters consistently provide nourishment to the business. It’s not about looking busy, it’s about being effective.
There are tools and processes that enable leaders to track progress. The options are endless. The argument that you have to see work happening to know it’s happing is so out-dated today that the idea has become silly. “How do I know I’m getting what I need?” The same way you know today. You actually got what you need.
I’ve decided that when contractors reach out to me about an opportunity, I’m going to reply to them, regardless of my interest in the position, with my complete compensation package and what I’m actually looking for in a job. This is for the following reasons:
- I want them to keep me in mind for other positions and let them know that I will forward their job to others who might be interested. You never know…they might have something interesting.
- About 25% of the people who contact me are for salaries that are 30% to 50% below the industry standard. With people able to work remote for higher wages, I want them to know they need to up their game.
- Some companies still haven’t realized that only a fraction of workers are coming back into the office, and that fraction is getting smaller every day. Most folks are shooting for 100% remote, and a few are hybrid. So…I tell them my salary, and that my company sold all their properties and is 100% work from home.
I hope I never again have to ever drive into an office every day. For at least the last 20 years it has made zero sense for my role. It I wasn’t on a business trip, I was holed up in my office on a conference call. It made not sense in the least and was a waste of time for me, and money for my company. There was just no reason for any of it. With that said, I wouldn’t mind an occasional business trip though. Oddly…I do miss those. Once a month is fine, but the twice a week got old FAST!