Managing Remote Workers Through Chaotic Times

We’ve all experienced four major shifts — the pandemic, the shift to remote work, the Great Resignation, and the recession — which each occurred in rapid succession across just a couple of years. That is no small chain of events.

And companies are struggling. Supply chain issues are still a challenge, affecting revenue, profitability, customer satisfaction and employee effectiveness (how can we forget the ongoing computer chip shortage)? The labor shortage means companies are scraping budgets for higher salaries to improve retention and attempt to address the higher cost of living. Inflation continues to be a growing concern that is increasing the cost of doing business. And a recession is looming if not here already.

The result? Budgets are tighter than ever. Organizations must do more with less, but still provide a work environment where employees feel secure and supported. Leadership teams must figure out the algorithm for effectively managing remote employees.

These are not easy objectives to address amid economic and social chaos. But they aren’t impossible. According to Gartner, the three major drivers that IT employees value when either seeking new opportunities or evaluating their current position are:

• Compensation
• Work-life Balance
• Respect

While this might not seem like new information, the methods companies should use to provide these benefits are completely different in a world of remote work than they were before. The more organizations can creatively and insightfully hone their employee offerings and improve their work environment, the greater chance they have of keeping and attracting IT talent.

This white paper takes a quick look at each of these and discusses how today’s leaders can provide them in a budget-conscious remote work environment.