When David Mayer launched Endpoint Utility Corp., a small information technology (IT) contracting business offering on-demand services, in 2021, he adapted his company's workflow model to the evolving remote work environment expanded by the pandemic. I adapted it.
The company started with just a few Flathead-based employees in an office space in downtown Kalispell, but has since grown to a staff of seven, including four who are local. His three other employees live in Chicago, Seattle and Las Vegas and work completely remotely.
“It's very much a hybrid company,” Mayer said. “Four of her girls live here and come and go from the office as needed.”
Meyer said the flexibility has worked well for his company and he hasn't noticed any changes in productivity. This allows employees to enjoy the freedom of working from home, while also providing the opportunity to come into the office when collaboration and socializing is needed. The hybrid model also expands the labor pool, allowing us to hire employees from across the country.
“Certainly, we want Montana employees to serve Montana customers, but the reality is that there is a finite pool of labor to tap into. Even if they can't, employers can still hire great people,” Meyer said.
The number of remote workers nationwide tripled during the pandemic, with the U.S. Census Bureau estimating that 73,000 people in Montana worked from home in 2021, compared to 34,000 in 2019. ing.
Nationally, the numbers decreased by 15% between 2021 and 2022, and in Montana, the number of remote workers fell to 69,000 despite the state's population growth.
“I think the pandemic has changed the way companies in the technology industry work,” said Christina Henderson, executive director of the Montana High-Tech Business Alliance. She said, “During the pandemic, companies were forced to go fully remote, and for technology companies, it was possible.”
But even as pandemic protocols fade, the culture surrounding office work is changing, Henderson said.
About 13% of Montana's workforce worked remotely most of the time, a slight decline in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
In our annual Work Styles and Attitudes Survey, 30% of people nationwide say they split their time between home and office.
Henderson said both employers and employees see benefits in the hybrid model, without sacrificing the luxury of commuting just a few days a week or having extra time for family responsibilities. He said he was able to build relationships with colleagues and superiors.
For Bill Moseley, CEO of GL Solutions, who moved his software company from Bend, Oregon to Kalispell in 2021, remote work resulted in a 30% drop in productivity. He is requiring nearly all of his employees to report to the office, except for his four longtime staffers who were unable to move their families from the West Coast. There is also some limited flexibility for employees with childcare or medical needs.
Moseley said training new employees remotely, which requires more collaboration, was especially difficult during the height of the pandemic. In the past six months, he has filled 35 positions and his staff has grown to 80 people.
“They like working with friends and having social connections,” Moseley said. “If you manage or work with other people, it can be very difficult to understand what they're saying when you're working remotely, and it can actually be It can make your job harder.”
While many companies are returning to office work, expectations have changed due to the pandemic-induced remote work era, Henderson said.
“We're seeing more job openings offering remote work options and more flexibility in where people work. We don't see that decreasing,” Henderson said. “On the job seeker side, there is a growing expectation and desire to have remote options.”
Moseley estimates that about a quarter of applicants only want to work remotely, despite GL Solutions' job listings explicitly listing in-office-only positions. In some cases, she finds out that the job model is non-negotiable and she goes through two interviews before declining the offer.
“Post-pandemic, we are seeing a reset of expectations and norms,” Henderson said. “Hybrid is kind of the new normal. Companies are changing their requirements for employees, there are more flexible policies and remote working.”
[email protected]
