26 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JANUARY 2022
TECH INSIGHTS
CAN TECHNOLOGY REVERSE THE GREAT RESIGNATION OF 2021?
Although remote and other
technology appears to be an
underlying cause of the 2021
Great Resignation, it may also
hold the key to a Great Return.
Many believed the mass exodus
from the workforce had peaked
in April when 4 million workers
quit nationwide, but monthover
month attrition rates have
remained staggeringly high. The
year’s tally exceeds 38 million
— and rising. What makes
this modern-day phenomenon
perplexing is that the U.S.
carries upwards of 10 million job
openings, with an annual high of
11.1 million during July and 10.44
million in September.
How has the technology sector
been impacted? To date, at least
40% of the existing workforce
indicates they are contemplating
leaving their position. In the U.S.,
more than 70% of people in the
technology industry say they are
on the fence. Many appear to be
positioning themselves to quit in
favor of another job or just fall
out of the workforce over the next
12 months.
Why is this happening? The
reasons are fourfold: Failing
Technology: Faltering laptops,
networks, and systems frustrated
employees who were thrust into
work-from-home situations.
Many had little or no experience
working offsite, and the change
was incompatible with a healthy
work-life balance. Toxicity: Low
incomes, stressful workloads, and
feelings of underappreciation
reportedly led many to quit.
Loss of Control: Pandemic
displacement and return to
brick-and-mortar facilities took
away a sense of ownership.
Employees tended to believe they
were not heard and their jobs felt
dissatisfying.
Can technology help a Great
Return to the workforce? It’s
important to avoid looking at
the Great Resignation solely
through the lens of technology.
There are wide-reaching cultural
and economic factors in play that
can also provide insight into
employer solutions.
For example, Glassdoor senior
economist Daniel Zhao indicates
that companies may be shooting
themselves in the foot concerning
remote talents. He recently
posed the question about how
companies such as Amazon and
Microsoft planned to compete
over the same technology talent.
Will they offer salaries based on
adjusted regional averages, or
higher ones to prevent employee
migration?
What other strategies can help
usher in a Great Return to the
workforce? Collaboration Tools:
Easy-to-use apps and devices
can help bridge the culture
gap. Although people from
different walks of life come to
the organization with unique
perspectives, collaborative tools
support team building. Better
remote connections typically lead
to better results.
End Big Brother: Supervisors
who suddenly lost in-person
monitoring were pleased
to discover surveillance
technologies. Loyal and hardworking
employees find the use
of screen activity monitoring,
mouse click counting, and other
metrics offensive. Organizations
would be better served to use
technology to fairly evaluate
productivity based on outcomes,
not the process.
Maintain Remote Flexible: A
recent Gartner study indicates
more than half of the global
workforce expects work-fromanywhere
options. In 2019,
only 17% of employees held that
expectation. Given this live-work
trend, company leaders would be
well served to invest in remote
infrastructure.
Thought leaders who pivoted to
remote workforces during the
height of the pandemic are tasked
with reevaluating their use of
technology. Just as improved
infrastructure, agility, and a
willingness to adapt buoyed
productivity, new strategies
will help professionals adapt
technology to a shifting business
landscape.
Photo Courtesy of Pexels
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proud to sponsor Tech Insights.
Since 1979, Custom has been
dedicated to providing Long
Island’s schools, local government
agencies, healthcare facilities
and businesses with advanced
technology solutions and support.
To learn more about Custom
Computer, or to be considered for
a future Tech Insights, please email
info@customtech.com.
WORKFORCE
Kyriakos Kaimis
Success Begins Here.
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(800) 598-8989
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