It’s been a long and crazy two years since Covid showed up and changed the world. Yes, a lot of things are different now, but I’d like to take a few minutes to discuss the impact as it relates to attracting and retaining Information Technology and Information Security professionals within community banking.
Most, if not all IT and IS professionals have some kind of remote work experience. Full remote or hybrid working arrangements are more of an expectation versus the added perk it was just a few years ago. As an employer, if you are not considering this option for applicable roles, you are likely struggling to fill positions or have genuine concerns about retaining employees.
I’ll be the first to admit that all of this is easier said than done. For years, the attitude of many organizations has been that employees must be in the office and sitting at their desks to complete their duties. It’s unreasonable to think that these cultural changes can be made in a short period of time without a well-thought-out business plan and strong executive-level buy-in.
The key to all of this is strong leadership at the top. On several occasions, I’ve witnessed executives reluctantly agree to hybrid or remote working arrangements to attract or retain talent. This rarely ends well for either party involved. Without genuine buy-in, Management feels like they’ve been strong-armed into allowing these arrangements and it will not take long for the remote employee to realize that he or she is being held to a different standard than their counterparts in the office.
Once management has made a sincere decision to shift to a business model that truly embraces a remote work environment, now the hard work begins. We can’t simply send people home with a laptop and declare victory. This is a cultural change from top to bottom and should be given the attention it deserves.
There are many things to consider such as HR requirements, equipment needs, and training. In my opinion, appropriate training is second to buy-in on the list of priorities to roll out an effective remote work environment. Supervisors and direct reports need a crystal-clear understanding of expectations and metrics by which to measure success.
Bedel Security has been a fully remote company since 2015 and we’d be happy to share our experiences with you. Send us an email at support@bedelsecurity.com to learn more.
Additional Resources
Remote Access Risk Assessment
https://www.bedelsecurity.com/lp-remoteriskassessment
Remote Employee Access
https://www.bedelsecurity.com/blog/remote-employee-access
Extending Security Controls Beyond the Office
https://www.bedelsecurity.com/blog/extending-security-controls-beyond-the-office
Do you need a separate penetration test for remote access?
https://www.bedelsecurity.com/blog/do-you-need-a-separate-penetration-test-for-remote-access
Surviving the post-pandemic landscape: 12 Technologies That Every Community Financial Institution Should Be Thinking About
https://www.bedelsecurity.com/lp-surviving-the-post-pandemic-landscape