Businesses are Resisting Remote Work for Many Knowledge Workers

Remote work for certain types of positions has really become quite popular, but for others, this is not necessarily true. For example, knowledge workers are seeing fewer new job postings. According to a report from Braintrust analyzing 150,000 new job postings, things are not all well and good for remote work.

Defining Remote First Positions

Some companies have what are called “remote first” positions, meaning that they tend to prioritize hiring remote workers for them. In many cases, this is done for most, if not all of the open, available positions, and these companies have a limited in-house workforce. By opting for remote-first practices, they are choosing the flexibility that it provides rather than limiting their operations to a set-in-stone office schedule or location. Examples of remote-first companies include Intuit, Facebook, and Amazon.

This doesn’t translate to knowledge workers in a way you might expect, so let’s first define what a knowledge worker is and what the discrepancy includes.

Defining Knowledge Workers

In the simplest terms, knowledge workers are those that provide value to the workplace through their knowledge, often accumulated over time. Some examples of knowledge workers are programmers, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, and scientists. These are the problem-solving workers, or those that use their extensive knowledge base to work through complicated issues.

Why Does This Resistance Exist?

TechRepublic reports that this resistance to remote work policies mainly stems from these industries not having had strong remote policies around remote work in the past. This is further exacerbated by the fact that some regions have not had large workforces of knowledge-based workers. Companies cannot find local talent, yet they do not have the capabilities to successfully implement hybrid or remote work.

A disconnect also exists between offices that try to maintain the same old operations and the employees who have embraced the possibilities, challenges, and benefits of remote work. Employees are not ready to give up their remote work, and they are ready to challenge the status quo, whatever it may bring. How can your workplace keep up with these expectations?

Some organizations might resist remote-first work for knowledge workers, but that doesn’t mean you have to. Remote technology has provided many opportunities for all types of employees to share their expertise with their places of employment. With a little bit of help from Horne & Benik, your business can implement these remote work technologies and give your employees the tools they need to succeed, no matter their physical location.

Once you have your technology in place for remote employees and have set up access to it, you might be surprised by how much it aids your organization! To learn more about how we can help your business succeed in a remote or hybrid setting, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.