Sandia National Laboratories is making a hybrid workforce a permanent option with plans to establish several hubs around the country that eventually will allow classified work to be done at secure locations other than those in New Mexico and California.
Like many organizations and businesses, SNL instituted working remotely during the pandemic, but over time it proved to be efficient and a preferred option for some employees. By making it a permanent feature, a hybrid workforce will increase the number of telecommuters and remote workers across the organization.
“In a time where most companies are figuring out how to do business in a hybrid realm, Sandia cannot afford to not follow suit,” Matthew-Ryan Morrell, manager of strategic site planning said in a release.
The majority of Sandia employees returned to on-site work as of January. But Sandia had approximately 1,700 full-time telecommuters, 1,100 part-time telecommuters, and 1,200 remote workers spread throughout the country. That represents about 30% of Sandia’s workforce.
The change to a hybrid workforce has allowed some current employees to relocate to other states while staying with the organization and should attract potential employees who never considered coming to work for Sandia due to its physical locations.
“This offering is an added benefit to the workforce and helps us tap into job markets we had only dreamed of,” Morrell said.
Sandia conducted a 2021-2022 study that showed significant increases in the number of qualified candidates applying for a remote position that was identical to an on-site position. It proved that remote work options are an asset to recruitment and retention.
Sandia’s mission to ensure the safety of the U.S. nuclear arsenal is safe, secure, and reliable requires significant security responsibilities. Security and safety are priorities when considering the creation of hub sites in different parts of the country.
Sandia already has identified three potential hub sites: Sandia’s Minnesota site, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Texas A&M University. Part of the hybrid plan includes identifying positions that weren’t traditionally hybrid-compatible and adapting to support remote options.
“We are identifying partners for whom locating part of the Sandia workforce will be mutually beneficial,” Jen Gaudioso, leader of the remote hub strategy and member of the Sandia Hybrid Task Force said in the release. “Texas A&M is eager to become a hub because they see it as a way to increase research collaborations and bring additional opportunities for their students. Sandia already has a footprint there; that gives students another career pathway.”
Sandia is instituting ways to make remote workers feel connected with on-site workers and activities. Some team leaders are bringing team members on-site occasionally and focusing on activities that build connections and tie people to the mission. Some teams have held online team celebrations; others have taken part in virtual team-building activities, per the release.
“I think we have to learn how to build community and a connection when we don’t see people every day,” Gaudioso said. “The water cooler conversations don’t take place, which are really important in creative work and the research environment. We need to be more intentional in making people feel connected and like they belong. So, I think it requires us to rethink how we build a sense of identity and community.”
Sandia also is looking to upgrade its on-site office spaces. Building renovations are underway in nine facilities on the Albuquerque campus. “From a facilities perspective, we are physically limited to the square footage we have to conduct work,” Morrell said. “Expanding the offerings for employees to telecommute or work remotely allows us not only to tap into new job markets, but it also means we are less constrained on square footage. That allows more work to be conducted, as we don’t focus on where people are physically doing their work.”
