There are two popular narratives in today’s employment landscape when the subject of remote work is broached. Some see it as the new post-COVID reality, while others believe it is largely becoming a thing of the past in the wake of several prominent companies issuing back-to-the-office edicts.
Both schools of thought are correct, and geography and positions still play a large role in the determination. While unemployment is ticking upward relative to the past couple years, there’s still a glut of open positions at many companies. The refrain “People don’t want to work anymore” has become widespread.
In our industry, drivers and warehouse personnel are still tough to source; ditto for sales people. Many dealers have demonstrated patience to find Mr./Mrs. Right as opposed to Mr./Mrs. Right Now, knowing that filling a role for the sake of hiring someone can be more costly in the long run. If remote work is a deal breaker, however, it can prolong the vacancy. As we kick off October’s State of the Industry report on hiring and retention, we asked our dealer panel about their attitude toward work from home (WFH), hybrid and office-only configurations.
Doing Better Business in Altoona, Pennsylvania, seeks to be pliable, but there are limitations simply based on the nature of the work. Debra Dellaposta, company president, points out that a lion’s share of the team’s work is done on location at the client’s facility.
“We try to be as flexible as we can, but there are times when we need our staff to report to the office,” said Dellaposta, who noted that WFH requests haven’t been a candidate sticking point during the interview process.
For many dealers, in-office collaboration is the key to fostering teamwork and creativity, in addition to the salutary impact on corporate culture. Cynthia Bennett, vice president of talent acquisition for Impact Networking, points out that while remote work was fairly prevalent in past years, she’s noted a shift across the business spectrum (notably in big tech) to resuming on-premise operations.
However, the desire to accommodate employee needs leaves the door open for hybrid arrangements under certain personal circumstances. Bennett notes the dealer is amendable to implementing flexible solutions that balance work and life effectively. Fortunately, it hasn’t proven to be a deal-breaker during the interview process.
“While remote work flexibility is an important consideration for many prospective employees, it does not necessarily force us to consider second-tier candidates,” she said. “Instead, we focus on finding the right balance between our in-office culture and accommodating individual needs, ensuring we attract and retain top talent while maintaining our collaborative environment.”
During COVID, remote work became a way of life for some dealers in the Northeast, including Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office in New York City. The dealer still uses a hybrid work schedule, with employees coming into the office one or two days per week, notes Larry Weiss, company president. Some individuals come in more frequently, but one thing the top exec happily notes is that his firm is pulling in the same revenue today, with 400 employees, as it did in 2019 with 500 team members.
Salespeople, on the other hand, need to be in the field 100% of the time, Weiss said. Oftentimes, if a prospect leads with that question, it’s a red flag that can make their priorities a bit questionable.
“We’re not looking to engage with someone where that’s their first question,” he said.
In the years before the pandemic, Las Vegas-based AIS had considered itself a “work from work” company, as it was most beneficial to the corporate culture. But COVID caused the company to rethink its policy, notes Rosa Solares, director of culture and talent management. Certain roles are not required to be on site, like a content writer or blog producer, positions that are less driven by collaboration.
“We follow a case-by-case basis in determining if remote work is feasible,” she said. “Obviously, positions like logistics and warehouse manager are on-site roles. We have had people who inquire about remote opportunities, and for some of them it can be a deal-breaker. So we’re upfront about it in the interest of transparency.”
Not all dealers are amendable to remote work, a group that includes NBM of Burlington, Massachusetts. Setting expectations from the start can help fend off WFH overtures, says Vern Hydorn, vice president of sales. The policy weeds out individuals who may live, say, 75 minutes from the office and might seek to work a day or two from home each week.
“Young salespeople ask about it, but we’re very transparent,” Hydorn noted. “One of the things they find out in the first 5-10 minutes of the interview is that ‘our corporate office is here and you will be expected to report to it every day.’ For candidates who live nearby, it’s typically not a reason why they wouldn’t consider taking the position.”
In the end, says Doug Pitassi—president of Pacific Office Automation in Beaverton, Oregon—it’s a matter of accountability. He sees there being certain positions that can be executed remotely, but he prefers it to be the exception to the rule. For sales, it’s a hard no: collaboration, interaction, problem-solving—all of these are difficult to facilitate from the home office.
Pitassi also feels not everyone has the discipline to pull it off, given the distractions and disruptions that can occur. “A lot of people need the support and accountability of the office,” he said. “The fact is, our customers deserve our collaboration to help solve their problems. That said, some of our departments allow it, but mostly we want you to be in the office.”
