By Kirstie McDermott
Remote work triumphed during the pandemic, but in the time since, tech firms have been shepherding their staff back into the office.
Getting the job done from home while taking home a hefty pay packet is the dream for many American tech workers, and during the pandemic, many did just that. As of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees worked from home, with 28.2% working a hybrid schedule, and around 32.6 million (22%) Americans will work remotely by 2025, according to Upwork.
Right now though, many companies are issuing return to office (RTO) mandates that range from flexible to rigid. On the tougher end of the RTO spectrum is IBM, which told its managers that they could return to the office or leave their job, and Dell told its remote workers that they aren’t eligible for promotions or have the ability to change jobs within the company.
According to Aileen Allkins, the CEO of TeKnowledge and an expert in managing digital transformation strategies and cybersecurity, a level of flexibility should be brought into play.
“Navigating differing opinions on returning to the office between management and staff presents a challenge, but it also offers an opportunity for organizations to demonstrate flexibility, empathy, and open communication,” she says.
The push back to the office has caused a sea change in the way that many employees are approaching their remuneration. According to Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford University economist, a prospective employee will forgo 8% in annual pay for a job that is partly or fully remote.
Bloom says that based on a median U.S. salary of $57,200 for full-time employees, this is a $4,600 annual reduction––but many tech workers will earn considerably more.
In an environment where technology and IT firms are crying out for the best talent, companies are starting to realize that people value more than money when it comes to their jobs.
Right now, it can still make sense for a lot of workers to push for remote working, even if they take home less money. Another survey highlighted that remote employees spend about $6,000 less a year than those who are office-based.
That’s because going into the office takes time as well as dollars. There are commuting costs like gas and tolls, lunches, take out beverages, and after work drinks. Staying at home means you may be able to save on some of your childcare costs, you won’t have to pay a dog walker or pet sitter, and there’s far less need to maintain a more expensive work wardrobe––or get it dry cleaned.
Whether you want to work fully remote or are happy to go back to the office on a hybrid basis, the BGR Job Board is the best place to research, and apply for, a new job. You’ll discover thousands of open roles, like the three below.
Senior Systems Engineer – Digital Engineering/MBSE, SciTec, Boulder
SciTec supports customers throughout the Department of Defense and U.S. Government in building innovative new tools to deliver unique world-class data exploitation capabilities, and has an immediate opportunity for a Senior Systems Engineer to support programs delivering next-generation missile warning software.
This is a unique opportunity to join a small business delivering core capabilities for national defense. You will work on delivering the end-to-end software processing of the Overhead Persistent InfraRed (OPIR) sensor data for missile warning, missile defense, battlespace awareness, and technical intelligence.
You’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in physical sciences, mathematics, engineering, or computer science, along with 10 years’ of professional experience in engineering, computer science, or remote sensing, as well as five years’ of experience specifically in systems engineering, and two years’ of experience specifically with MBSE. See all application criteria now.
Software Engineer Lead, PNC Financial Services Group, Strongsville
PNC is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is seeking a Software Engineer, Lead to join its Technology group.
You will create and lead the technical design and development of software solutions, propose and design software solutions to address complex business needs, prepare technical and procedural documentation and facilitate complex problem resolution.
To be considered, you’ll need a degree, with three years’ of relevant or direct industry experience. In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, job-specific certifications, and experience (including military service) may be considered. Find all the information you’ll need.
Sr. RF Systems Engineer, Gilat, San Dimas
As the Sr. RF Systems Engineer at Gilat Wavestream, you will set the standard in the design and manufacturing of next generation high power solid-state amplifiers. Duties include design of new ground-based and airborne microwave and millimeter-wave BUCs and transceivers.
You’ll also be responsible for product definition in terms of requirements, functions and features, specification, and design objectives, as well as configurational, preliminary, and detailed design activities, along with oversight of creation of test plans and procedures.
You’ll require a B.S. in engineering or physics with at least 15 years’ experience in RF/microwave communications systems, component design, test and verification, or a Master’s and at least six years’ experience. Explore more on this role here.
Whether it’s remote, hybrid or in-office, discover your next great tech job on the BGR Job Board
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