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Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

management.fortune.cnn.com

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Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#31

Post by wyclif »

michaelchisari wrote: post #26
wyclif wrote: post #9

Startups that demand relocation to NYC or SF are a total show stopper here. Many of us are held hostage by geography-- maybe you own a home, maybe you have kids in a school they're flourishing in, maybe your parents need help. If you're a family man you won't like spending your wife and children's time in Bay Area or Metro NYC traffic. But here's the thing: the technology most startups use means they can transcend ge…

I want to see if they are set up to do remote work, or are they landlocked? I love this term. Maybe I'll use it on my resume.

Hi, Michael. I love Appleseed and give you guys mad props.

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#32

Post by bartonfink »

bphogan wrote: post #14

I would love to do more remote work, but then I hear horror stories about people having problems not being around people. Feelings of isolation set in after a couple of months, and people end up going to a gig where they are around people. To those doing remote work, is this common?

I haven't found that to be the case, but then I have my life set up such that I don't need work to fill a social outlet. I have my wife, two dogs, friends and neighbors to socialize with when I feel the itch.

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#33

Post by ddlatham »

I see several comments saying more companies should be hiring remote workers, building their culture to support it, and why aren't they doing it?

It's interesting to see the numbers in this article.

What's remarkable is that, even after two years of flattish compensation, technology professionals are willing to sacrifice $7,800 on average to work from home

The article speaks as if this is a huge amount, but as a chunk of total salary, it's probably 5-15% for most tech jobs. So the question for employers is, is it worth an extra 5-15% in salary to have your team work together in person?

In many cases it is.

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#34

Post by spitfire »

wyclif wrote: post #9

Startups that demand relocation to NYC or SF are a total show stopper here. Many of us are held hostage by geography-- maybe you own a home, maybe you have kids in a school they're flourishing in, maybe your parents need help. If you're a family man you won't like spending your wife and children's time in Bay Area or Metro NYC traffic. But here's the thing: the technology most startups use means they can transcend ge…

amen to this. With the money startups manage to pull in you can find a very nice town to settle in and absolutely pamper your staff - and still have lower costs than SF or nyc.

A particularly good selling point for getting the more experienced developers with family. Come work for us in friendly brattleboro Vermont! (I've been there, it's like Gilmore girls in real life). Bonus if you're within train distance of the city you can get the best of all worlds.

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#36

Post by gchucky »

bphogan wrote: post #14

I would love to do more remote work, but then I hear horror stories about people having problems not being around people. Feelings of isolation set in after a couple of months, and people end up going to a gig where they are around people. To those doing remote work, is this common?

I'm one of those people who left a telecommute job to work in an office. The walls definitely closed in on me and I felt increasingly isolated, and I had to get out. I think it was when I realized that I was sitting around my apartment for 23+ hours a day that I started looking for a new position.

I think there's something inherent in working with people around you that you can't really replicate online. Being able to go over and talk to someone and ask them a question is invaluable when compared to having to message/email someone and wait for them to respond. It took us far longer to get sprint planning done (we were also doing Scrum) over the phone because no one wanted to talk, and that's easier to shrug off when you're at home. There's some level of team building that's missing when you telecommute - you don't go out for lunch with people, or have any sort of real social interaction.

Honestly I think it's up to the team/company to help work through those issues. We set up a chat system so we could talk during the day and that did seem to help for awhile, though.

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#37

Post by famousactress »

bphogan wrote: post #14

I would love to do more remote work, but then I hear horror stories about people having problems not being around people. Feelings of isolation set in after a couple of months, and people end up going to a gig where they are around people. To those doing remote work, is this common?

You can definitely get in a mode where you need to pull yourself out of the house, but I never get lonely.. Mostly because I communicate with my coworkers constantly. Probably more than I have at most brick-and-mortar operations. We idle in a Skype chatroom all day long, and I participate in at least a half dozen skype calls a day.. sometimes ones that become just two hour co-coding sessions.

The real need to get out is just a need to spend some time in the sunshine, or walking.. funny little things that happen on accident when you're commuting :)

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#39

Post by famousactress »

SoftwarePatent wrote: post #13

Want to attract top tech talent? Offer a high salary.

I think there's a difference between attracting and keeping (productive). High salaries can lead to a 'golden handcuffs' scenario where the company can flounder, do stupid things, mistreat employees.. and they'll stick around for the cash.

I think paying well is a good idea, but it's not a complete strategy and I don't think it actually is as likely to bring the lifestyle satisfaction that telecommuting can for many people.

Re: Want to attract top tech talent? Offer telecommuting

#40

Post by eru »

mgkimsal wrote: post #4

This is sort of a no-brainer. I'm pitched by recruiters about once a week, and they're all for far away positions - typically SF area, but other areas too. I can't sell my house any time soon - the market just isn't moving - so I'm somewhat held hostage by geography. This doesn't mean that I can't travel onsite and visit your office regularly, nor does it mean skype and phone don't work out here in the sticks :) Tele…

Why can't you sell your house? Your house has already decreased in value, not accounting for the loss in your books doesn't make it more valuable.
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