18 Nov You sure about that?
–https://fortune.com/2022/08/08/why-recession-boost-remote-work-leadership-careers-gleb-tsipursky/
–https://finance.yahoo.com/news/return-office-mandates-just-keep-102658377.html
😣
I made the prediction more than once that remote work _____ (fill in the blank as you will: experts / gurus / advocates / unicorns / tricorn hats, etc.) would simply shift their narratives when it became obvious that WFH was not gonna last forever for most white collar workers. I don’t give bonuses or brownie points for people who can look around and report on clear conditions. I’m more interested in getting intel ahead of time.
I was tooting the alarm that WFH was not gonna last forever and that I felt it was important to get an RTO survival plan put together ASAP way before now.
It might be tempting to say, “Yeah, OK, but one headline is from August of 2022 and the other is from October of 2023.” Yes, and? In the summer of 2022, I wasn’t out here smoking remote work hopium; I was on my blogs and my podcast warning people as best as I could.
Hybrid work, IMO, will likely be used as a stepping stone to full-on RTO. Wait and see.
➡️ I used to know an Episcopal priest who had a sign up in his office, “Jesus is Coming. Look Busy.” I always thought that was pretty funny of a clergyman. Anyway, that’s what we have here. In order to make sure the mouse jiggles often enough, people have to waste time looking busy for the trackers. This goes back to control. It’s more important for us to keep that boot on the back of your neck and make sure you are aware of the Digital Panopticon than it is for you to have the tools you need to do a good job. Ha ha. Joke’s on you.
➡️ Ultimately, I think Corpo America will make it as inhospitable as possible for you to WFH in the long run. Some companies will remain remote, yes, and the competition for those jobs will be fierce. But will the majority of companies stay remote or mostly remote forever? I doubt it.
-“I told you so 🎶” this is what I published on August 23, 2022. https://causeyconsultingllc.com/2022/08/23/i-told-you-so-%f0%9f%8e%b6/
Has a recession boosted remote work? Not that I’ve seen. Have many companies pushed for RTO while those with remote roles get bombarded with applicants? Yep.
I haven’t had any about-faces in my coverage of the job market. I wish my dour predictions hadn’t come to pass but I’m certainly glad I’ve done what I felt was right to warn people.
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