Working from home doesn’t mean taking it easy. Many people are highly productive remote often putting in longer hours because they save time on commuting. Others go above and beyond when needed, regardless of whether they’re at home or in the office. When you hire the right people, they put in an honest day’s work and go above and beyond when necessary simply because it’s the right thing to do.
There are valid reasons for having employees in the office—such as fostering collegiality and easing onboarding—and equally strong reasons for supporting remote work, including increased employee satisfaction and the ability to attract top talent.
The world isn’t black and white. It’s full of nuance, and the best solutions often lie in the gray areas.
I’m not talking about remote vs not. I’m talking about when companies need to thin. And not just now. I’ve been through many hiring and thinning cycles in 30 years.
Most everyone has capacity for more. It’s that or you’ll be next.
It’s a reality. None of us are entitled to a specific job. It’s at the discretion of those who employ us.
Strangely I listened to an interview with a former DOGE worker who admitted there wasn’t nearly as much waste in government as he thought there would be. Some inefficiencies and some redundancy but little waste. Of course he got canned when he said it publicly as it didn’t fit in with the preferred narrative.
Okay, have you worked at a VA? In local government? I assure you -there is waste. There are LAYERS of redundancy. My personal experience is very different from whomever you are referencing.
I agree there is both waste - for example, too many (in private jobs) have duties that don’t impact. I get tons of unnecessary reports - that help sell nothing. At the same time, there are people who are chit chatting all day, on the internet, etc. Or there are people that do things slowly, etc.
My point again was - in most cases, there is capacity for those left behind to do more than they did before.
Forgetting covid, forgetting remote and everything else - historically we’ve had periods of hiring/growth and periods of reduction. And those booms and busts will continue to happen.
When there’s a bust, those remaining need to step up.
I never talked about waste/redundancy, etc. You are not reacting to what I said.
I have worked in a VA, and I know several people who still do. It sure has changed, and not exactly for the better. That said, I recall once trying to open a door while carrying a large stack of charts (this was before EMR’s). I looked at the person standing there and asked if they could please open the door for me. He said “I am on break” and walked away The people I know who work there/or with VA programs now are pretty overloaded with work.
We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,” Jassy said in a memo to employees. “It’s hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce.”
Yikes - this is definitely not a rosy picture for STEM. I have one rising sophomore physics concentrator and a recent computer science graduate (with psyc minor) who will continue for one more year to complete an MS in CS/AI…
I too have “how” and “why” children. One just graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently job hunting. The other is pursuing a PhD in Physics. Not sure what the future holds for either of them. I just have to have faith in these uncertain times that all the work they and we have put into getting to them to this point will pay off in the long run, but it’s hard not to worry.
I’m sure I’d also be worrying about their futures if they had chosen non-STEM pursuits, but my current feelings of, is it surprise?, perhaps belies my prior naiveté or perhaps, overconfidence in the STEM market.
My “how” child’s situation is complicated in that he was underging multiple neurosurgeries where they were digging around inside his skull to remove tumors when other kids were having internships and summer jobs, so he’s already at a disadvantage over applicants with traditional experiences and longer resumes. Hopefully having a M.S. will help level the playing field a bit.
I’m also trying to have faith that all they work they have put in will pay off… Hang in there!
I think society often follows and not leads. So everyone (embellishing) wants to be in CS it seems - because that’s been the hot thing. But will it remain, etc?
One thing i know is if no one is working because of AI or anything else, we all lose - because businesses may be more efficient, but who will be buying their wares?
The experienced job market is definitely still robust - I know many people who have switched and with little issue in fact.
The people I know who work there/or with VA programs now are pretty overloaded with work.