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.]

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.

What ranked the lowest on the options of what matters most to IT professionals about their jobs? Coming in dead last was “ability to work in an office environment” at 2%.

Remote work also featured in a few other questions that InformationWeek asked IT professionals and managers in the 2022 Salary Survey. For instance, InformationWeek asked “What would influence you to accept a lesser position or title?” The top answer to this question was “ability to work remotely” at 35% followed by “more job satisfaction” at 33%, and “I would not accept a lesser position or title under any circumstances” at 31%. Other answers included “flexible work hours” 26%, “better company” 23%, and “better fit for my skills” 22%.

Tied for last on this question at 1% was “workplace onsite childcare” and “ability to work in an office.”

What Job Changers Want

Over one-third (37%) of the total surveyed said they were looking for a new job; but among that group, remote work was not the most important reason. For the job seekers, 76% said they wanted “higher compensation,” 41% said “more interesting work,” 39% said they were “seeking more personal fulfillment,” and 32% said they “didn’t like the present company’s management or culture.” Fifth on the list was “looking for the ability to work remotely” at 30%. But if you look at the bottom of this list again, just 2% said they were “looking for the ability to work in an office,” followed only by “seeking onsite workplace childcare” at 1%.

After more than two years of remote work and a more accepting attitude toward remote work, the InformationWeek Salary Survey 2022 has found that many IT professionals place a premium on having this option and flexibility in their employment. That’s something that organizations looking to retain or recruit new technology talent should keep in mind as they seek to attract workers in a competitive environment.

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