4 ms·

So many absolutist opinions on remote work, but as someone who spent years doing both before the pandemic, I can say with some authority that there are pros and

So many absolutist opinions on remote work, but as someone who spent years doing both before the pandemic, I can say with some authority that there are pros and cons—it's not a one-size-fits-all thing. The biggest barrier was companies willing to go all in, as mixed on-site/remote meetings are terrible. So now that the we've broken the ice on this, the market will sort it out. Basically we're going to see a bunch of remote first companies dominate the war for talent, and we'll see some companies leveraging the strength of still being in-person. But individuals will have much more freedom to find a working arrangement that suits them. The landscape will shift in aggregate as a result of where this balances out, not as a result of arrogant op-ed writers who think they know what's right for everyone.

zmmmmm 5y ago
> mixed on-site/remote meetings are terrible for me this is the trickiest part. A lot of people and companies are looking at hybrid as a sort of compromise but the brutal reality is that hybrid may be hellishly bad and lead to far worse outcomes than all on-premise or all-remote. I feel like there is a high risk of a lot of dumpster fire disasters and not sure which way it'll go in the end.
- Freak_NL 5y ago
  Make it standard practice to do meetings virtual whenever there is someone remote joining in. Most meetings will be virtual (and that's fine), and whenever a certain problem benefits from people meeting physically, just plan it.
randomsearch 5y ago
> But individuals will have much more freedom to find a working arrangement that suits them. Agree with your comment in general. On this point, I wonder if this is only true whilst power remains in the supply side of the labour market. When the next recession hits, maybe we'll see a migration of workers to where the main employers are. I do wonder if remote working suits the workers a lot more than the employers.
cm277 5y ago
I've come to look at remote/onsite preference as a sort of dietary restriction/preference: some people's personality/temperament absolutely makes remote 10x better. For some people it's a tasteless/flavorless existence. Both can be right. The problem in a company setting is that we're all 'eating' off the same menu. So, my guess is longer-term companies will sort out to remote-only, onsite-only or light-hybrid (sort of like 'Vegan Fridays' at the cafeteria...)

zmmmmm 5y ago

> mixed on-site/remote meetings are terrible for me this is the trickiest part. A lot of people and companies are looking at hybrid as a sort of compromise but the brutal reality is that hybrid may be hellishly bad and lead to far worse outcomes than all on-premise or all-remote. I feel like there is a high risk of a lot of dumpster fire disasters and not sure which way it'll go in the end.

Freak_NL 5y ago
Make it standard practice to do meetings virtual whenever there is someone remote joining in. Most meetings will be virtual (and that's fine), and whenever a certain problem benefits from people meeting physically, just plan it.

randomsearch 5y ago

> But individuals will have much more freedom to find a working arrangement that suits them. Agree with your comment in general. On this point, I wonder if this is only true whilst power remains in the supply side of the labour market. When the next recession hits, maybe we'll see a migration of workers to where the main employers are. I do wonder if remote working suits the workers a lot more than the employers.

cm277 5y ago

I've come to look at remote/onsite preference as a sort of dietary restriction/preference: some people's personality/temperament absolutely makes remote 10x better. For some people it's a tasteless/flavorless existence. Both can be right. The problem in a company setting is that we're all 'eating' off the same menu. So, my guess is longer-term companies will sort out to remote-only, onsite-only or light-hybrid (sort of like 'Vegan Fridays' at the cafeteria...)