C-Suite: Stop ‘Chicken’ Hiding Behind HR!

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What It’s About: Employers, like all groups in society, are now very actively planning for the post-pandemic world (sometime in Q3/Q4 2021 in NA and Europe)? So, what am I starting to anecdotally hear and actually read? The HR email memos about remote working are beginning to come out. And I’m disappointed to have seen or heard about ones that sound like this:

“Please do not hire any future employee with the expectation they can work from home.”
“Do not recruit anyone who is not willing to relocate and commute to HQ.”
“We are now reviewing our remote work policy and please be prepared to be on campus full time no later than Q4.”
“While we appreciate many of you have enjoyed the flexibility of working from home, we will soon return to normal work hours and attendance at designated work locations.”

So What?: I just do not get the mindset behind these regressive policies. Overwhelmingly, survey after survey of knowledge workers, demonstrate that people want to continue with at least some minimal level of being able to work from anywhere. I know of an organization that cannot find engineering talent in one geographic location, and yet are fully able to find it in other regions. However, this new found talent prefers not to fully disrupt their personal lives by moving across the country. So they decline. Does this make any sense? Why would you pass on top talent, fully capable of working remotely, because they refuse to disrupt their (and often their entire families), so they can physically show up to work in a cubicle thousands of miles from their current home? Or why would someone spend two to three hours commuting to show up for a one hour face to face meeting that could be easily done on Zoom? Who really benefits from this nonsensical thinking? Frankly, I think it is often misinformed, egotistical, C-Suite leaders who somehow think they are getting more productivity by making sure the “gang's all here.” “It feels so good to see so many employees' cars still in parking lots that people have to pay to park in, well past 5:00 p.m.” and other wrong headed thinking like, “our team is way more creative because they bump into each other on campus.” I want to see the empirical data behind that goofy premise.

Now What?: C-Suite, stop hiding behind HR policies that you ask your HR team to send out under the idea that it’s the best of the company. Really? Have the misinformed courage to at least tell people that you like it, because as a C-Suite leader, you feel better to see everyone “working or look like they are working.” Admit that on Fridays you hate to see so many empty cubes because you wonder if they’re at home goofing off, and you run a “country club” (as whispered by one of your board members). Admit that you like when other people follow your footsteps of 12 hour days at the office, because that’s what it takes to be successful. Admit that you still believe that good work really happens at a set place and time, and the last one to turn the lights off wins. Admit that you have little confidence that leaders, including yourself, can really optimize the contribution of remote work teams. Trust but verify! Right?

Maybe I’m being too hard on the C-Suite. However, the organizations that will attract the best talent and thrive will be more remote than not. Why? Because the best talent will have made that choice.

HR leaders push back based on listening to all people at every level, and be careful not to pander the C-Suite based on following your political noses. Take a stand for people for a change! (You might find it rewarding).

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now,

- Lorne

One Millennial View: C-Suite should care about one thing - getting results from their hires. Where/when is not the focus. If someone sucks at home, fire them. If someone sucks at the office, fire them. What’s the big deal here? It’s just a power play mentality, obviously. But frankly, if you want me to physically punch in and punch out using a timecard in your 2021 organization, you’re a loser and I don’t want to work for you anyways.

- Garrett

C-Suite: Stop ‘Chicken’ Hiding Behind HR!

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