According to a Pluralsight survey, organizations face skill gaps in cybersecurity, cloud, and software development, leading to increased workloads and abandoned projects for existing IT staff. The main roadblocks to upskilling include lack of support from leadership, time constraints, disengaged employees, and financial constraints. Upskilling is seen as a cost-effective strategy, with organizations taking an average of 10 weeks to fill open IT positions and the average cost of upskilling an IT employee being lower than hiring new talent. While AI and ML talent gaps are not a top priority, organizations that invest in technical upskilling have seen improvements in IT skills gaps.
According to research from Gartner, one-third of executives and 19% of non-executive employees plan to leave their current roles if forced to comply with return-to-office mandates
A study reveals that a quarter of executives and a fifth of HR professionals hoped return-to-office (RTO) mandates would result in staff leaving, indicating that RTO plans may have been a way to conduct back-channel layoffs. The study also suggests that the post-COVID work culture has led to increased workplace surveillance, performative behaviors, and decreased productivity.
And yet, According to a survey conducted by ResumeBuilder.com, 1 in 4 businesses with return-to-work policies plan to increase in-office days next year. The main reasons cited for this decision are to improve productivity and company culture. However, some companies have also experienced talent loss due to their return-to-office mandates.
In contrast, During a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing, the Office of Personnel Management Director, Rob Shriver, advocated for continued remote work for cybersecurity professionals in federal agencies. Shriver emphasized that requiring these professionals to come into the office five days a week would hinder recruitment efforts and suggested that agencies should focus on ensuring remote work arrangements drive good performance. This comes in response to proposed legislation requiring federal workers to spend more time in their offices. OPM also supports initiatives to connect aspiring tech talent with federal employment opportunities to strengthen agency cyber and emerging tech programs.
Why do we care?
Apparently, we’re still doing this…. RTO is about bad managers and real-estate leases. Keep that in mind.
The generic advice is the importance of creating an open culture that listens to employees and avoids micromanagement for success, regardless of whether staff work remotely, return to the office, or adopt a hybrid approach. Employers should focus on motivating rather than mandating, provide clear reasons for returning to the office, and involve employees in shaping the requirements to improve retention and engagement.
And the insightful advice is to make sure you’re not fighting the battle. Even the fed gets that.