IT Pros Aren't Missing the Office

Hybrid, remote, or on-premises? Now that the risk profile for COVID-19 has changed, organizations and their workforces are facing the following questions: Do we go back to the office or were we just as productive when we were remote? Do we compromise with a hybrid schedule, and if so, who sets the terms of that hybrid schedule? Does management choose when you will come to the office, or do employees set their own schedules?

You will probably get different answers depending upon whom you ask. If you ask top management at Apple, for instance, starting May 23 there will be a hybrid schedule where workers are in the office three days a week. But many Apple workers have balked at this change, with some penning an open letter to executives citing their specific objections.

More recently, Apple’s director of machine learning Ian Goodfellow reportedly resigned from the company due to its return-to-work policy. 

At a time when top talent is in high demand across the tech industry, organizations may want to consider giving workers more options when it comes to remote work.

What IT Pros Want

The recently released InformationWeek 2022 Salary Survey report provides an inside look into how technology professionals value the option to work remotely. [A full PDF copy of the Salary Survey is available for free download with site registration here and also provides insights into IT salaries, skills, and more.]

Related:3 Predictions for the Future of IT Jobs

For instance, when InformationWeek asked the 550 IT professionals and managers surveyed what matters most to them about their jobs, 40% said “telecommuting/working at home,” tied with “my opinion and knowledge are valued.” The only options that ranked higher were “overall work-life balance” at 46% and “vacation time/paid time off” at 42%. These results demonstrate that at least for some technology professionals, quality-of-life issues are more important than having a higher salary. Indeed, “base pay” was the next most popular option selected by IT pros at 39%, but still below those top four.

Read the rest of this article on InformationWeek.