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99% fully remote roles

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  • jumbotron
    replied
    I've been at 3 clients since the pandemic started - all of them have pretty much fully committed to developers being fully remote. All of them are struggling to find good staff and I don't think any of them feel in a position to make demands about where developers do their work (perm or contract). The most recent contract I started about 2 months ago and it wasn't even mentioned that it was remote, it was just implied.

    That's not the whole market of course, just the bit I'm aware of, but I get a strong impression that developers at least (perhaps different for product and manager roles) are going to have the option of working from home for good.

    Yes there is outsourcing, but we all know it's crap, the communication doesn't work and you get something that ticks the boxes if you squint at it. The people hiring know that too. Eastern Europe is better than further afield, but there's still issues and there's a shortage of experienced developers there just like there is in the UK. As the demand for tech increases in those countries as I'm sure it will, the pool of very cheap workers will shrink as well.

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  • courtg9000
    replied
    Originally posted by Lance View Post

    In my mind if you need to be monitored and mentored you're just a bum on seat. So that should be inside IR35 all day every day.
    Agreed.

    Leave a comment:


  • agentzero
    replied
    Originally posted by eek View Post
    100% remote roles I can outsource to India / Bulgaria / Romania for peanuts.

    I expect 1-2 days in an office per week / per fortnight is the minimum for a UK contract paying UK rates because otherwise it's cheaper to go abroad.

    You can, but you'll likely be looking again quickly when you realise that the quality in those coutnries isn't always anywhere near acceptable. This argument is used a lot, but there's a good reason why we don't see high quality projects outsourced to India and other places. Many projects also require UK nationals with no dual nationality.

    If you diversify your skillset you can get fully remote or almost fully remote roles. If you're asked to come in two or three times in a 6 month outside IR35 contract then I personally think that's a bargain. Only one place has refused this arrangement to me in the past few years.

    Leave a comment:


  • zonkkk
    replied
    Originally posted by _V_ View Post

    When you say it found you, I assume you mean you didn't apply? Wondering the best channels to find remote dev work.

    GitHub repos, StackOverflow, LinkedIn (spit) ?
    LinkedIn.

    Leave a comment:


  • Lance
    replied
    Originally posted by courtg9000 View Post
    I know one or 2 of my contacts are offering remote roles BUT this is to gain the top talent. If you are mediocre or anything less than the top 10% of skillset ability its in the office mostly where you can be "monitored and mentored".
    In my mind if you need to be monitored and mentored you're just a bum on seat. So that should be inside IR35 all day every day.

    Leave a comment:


  • jamesbrown
    replied
    I've been doing 100% fully remote contracts for the last 10+ years. In fact, I don't remember the last time I had an "in person" meeting, except socially (greasing the wheels of joint bids etc.). It is somewhat overrated, though, assuming you're not doing the sort of work that would get supervised even when working on a client site. A bit of in-person interaction isn't a bad thing.

    Leave a comment:


  • northernladuk
    replied
    Have to say I'm not digging 100% remote gigs. I'm quite happy to go in to a client (where possible and not at great cost to be fair) from time to time. I'm bored of being at home and too many distractions and I'd rather see people face to face and chat. I work in service ops so much of it business relationship management and I think face to face and being around is part of the role. Maybe not so for others roles to others which doesn't need that interaction but nothing wrong with going in to the office a few days a week in general.

    I don't think it's a failing of a client to want people in the office for one reason or another and I certainly don't think most do it to monitor their staff. I agree the tech is there to be able to do it but I still think human interaction (i.e. in the same office) is a big part of working. Many people can't do without it, some people just naturally slack, others enjoy it. I don't think going back to the office is a bad thing in most cases.

    it's a good opportunity to allow suppliers/contractors to deliver remotely for sure and hope some clients pick up on that but I wouldn't be dissing every client that has a back to office policy.

    Leave a comment:


  • courtg9000
    replied
    I know one or 2 of my contacts are offering remote roles BUT this is to gain the top talent. If you are mediocre or anything less than the top 10% of skillset ability its in the office mostly where you can be "monitored and mentored".

    Speaking to a couple of IT Directors/CTO's I know over the past few days it everyone back in the office at the moment and decisions are being made on who what and where. New hires can expect to be in the office for a month or 2 at least unless Boris tells everyone to WFH again.

    An MD I know had trouble at the start of the pandemic, with staff doing little to no work at home, so he simply pulled the plug on remote access and said everyone had to come in. I don't know how he got away with it but he did.

    Leave a comment:


  • _V_
    replied
    Originally posted by zonkkk View Post
    100% fully remote contracts are available. One of them actually found me, rather than the other way around.
    When you say it found you, I assume you mean you didn't apply? Wondering the best channels to find remote dev work.

    GitHub repos, StackOverflow, LinkedIn (spit) ?

    Leave a comment:


  • zonkkk
    replied
    100% fully remote contracts are available. One of them actually found me, rather than the other way around.

    Leave a comment:

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