Thematic analysis of five semi-structured interviews regarding performance management of remote working engineers in South Africa

This study examines the impact of work-from-home arrangements on the performance management of design engineers in South Africa, where engineering skills are scarce and talent retention is critical. Using a qualitative approach with interviews from experienced engineering managers, the research finds that most design engineering tasks can be performed remotely, and that performance is most strongly influenced by communication, employee satisfaction, organisational culture, and skills development rather than physical presence. While performance metrics need not differ between remote and office-based engineers, they require improvement and greater flexibility, particularly to support junior engineers who benefit from in-office mentorship. Based on these findings, the study proposes a practical performance management framework focused on culture, training, structured development pathways, and adaptive KPIs to enhance performance, retention, and organisational competitiveness in a remote working environment.