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Intel outlines its future of work with a hybrid-first model

Phoenix Business Journal

One of the Valley’s largest employers is the latest company to embrace a hybrid work model, at least for the foreseeable future.

Chipmaker Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) announced this week it is now a “hybrid-first company,” meaning that it won’t be mandating that all employees be on-site every day. According to a statement from Chief People Officer Christy Pambianchi, 90% of its employees said in a workplace survey they preferred a hybrid workplace once sites reopen.

Globally the company has 110,600 employees, with more than 50,000 based in the U.S. In Arizona the company has 12,000 employees in Arizona.

Since its workers went remote in March 2020 the company has pushed back return-to-office dates and said it would make final decisions based on local data and public health guidance.

Pambianchi outlined the company’s future of work plans with three categories of workers:

  • Hybrid: those who have the option to split their time on site and off site. The decision on when and how many days workers will be on site is being left up to individual teams. This is meant to be flexible.
  • On-site: These are workers whose jobs are in manufacturing or research and require lab work. Intel’s largest manufacturing facility is in Chandler, so many Arizona workers would fall into this category.
  • Fully remote: The company has a small group of employees that are fully home-based.

“Our goal is to enable remote and on-site work where it drives the best output, while ensuring everyone has equitable access to the systems, resources and opportunities needed to thrive. Over the past 20 months, we have learned we can be incredibly successful virtually, but we believe human connection fuels innovation,” Pambianchi wrote.

Intel’s decision comes at a time when companies across industries are facing intense hiring competition as employees seek out workplaces that offer flexibility and other benefits. Earlier this year, the company stopped short of mandating Covid-19 vaccines for workers and instead encouraged employees to get vaccinated.

However, the company is evaluating how to apply new federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules mandating large employers require Covid-19 vaccines or weekly testing of unvaccinated workers. Those rules were released Nov. 4.

“Intel will comply with all government mandates as the company has done throughout the pandemic in the various countries in which it operates around the world,” according to a company spokesperson.

Pambianchi also said that as the company shifts to a hybrid model it will continue to focus on its yearslong diversity and inclusion work. As part of this work the company commissioned a survey of inclusion work across businesses. The study had 3,000 responses from business leaders in 17 different countries.

Here’s some of the findings:

  • 63% said the Covid-19 pandemic had a positive effect on diversity and inclusion work with 46% noting that remote work allowed more recruiting of employees from underrepresented groups.
  • 54% said the highest underrepresented group to leave the workforce during the pandemic were employees with disabilities. The next was women at 38% and parents at 37%.

“While we know we don’t have all the answers for what will work best long term, the data shows that many workers are looking for increased flexibility, and that’s why we’re leading with a hybrid-first approach,” Pambianchi wrote. “As we look to the road ahead, we will continue to prioritize and integrate diversity and inclusion into everything — our culture, systems, leadership expectations and performance metrics — to ensure our future workplace works for everyone.”

 


Visit www.aztechcouncil.org/tech-events to view all of the Council’s upcoming virtual tech networking opportunities, engaging virtual tech events and in-person tech events.


 

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