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Google has been rolling out an astoundingly aggressive anti-remote policy from what we've heard - and it's probably even more aggressive internally. I wouldn't

by munk-a 5y ago

Google has been rolling out an astoundingly aggressive anti-remote policy from what we've heard - and it's probably even more aggressive internally. I wouldn't be surprised if they're just losing a lot of the folks that realized quality of life matters to them.

kyrra 5y ago
Googler, opinion is my own. Says who? They are allowing people to apply for full remote, with an estimated 8500 so far approved. https://www.businessinsider.com/google-approved-85-of-roughly-10000-remote-work-relocation-requests-2021-8 https://www.businessinsider.com/google-approved-85-of-roughl...
- Infinitesimus 5y ago
  From the article > "The company also turned down requests where organizations "made a commitment to invest in key growth sites and are working to build their teams and critical mass in those particular hubs," Google told Insider." That reads like "if someone in your organization chain said they want to build a hub in your region, we'll probably deny your request because headcount need to be filled for those hubs" Which is fair for the company to do but you can see why that can trigger attrition too.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - kyrra 5y ago
    Point taken, thanks for raising it. I could definitely see some newer sites have that issue that require local teams until critical mass is hit. I guess the sites I tend to work with are already very well established, so people I've seen apply have all been accepted (of the ones I know).
- travelbuffoon 5y ago
  Some people aren’t even applying because their orgs have made it clear that remote won’t be approved, and some people are being denied for spurious reasons. (Best one I’ve seen is: personal reasons not strong enough for remote.) So it’s not as rosy as it seems.
UncleMeat 5y ago
Googler here. All indications pointed towards no remote option, but that switched a few months ago. Most people in software engineering roles have decent access to full time remote options, especially if they are willing to change orgs. I don't know a single case in my org (hundreds of people) who had a rejected remote application.
- macksd 5y ago
  I've always been confused by Google's reputation for pushing in-the-office work. I've met with... 3, I think, Google teams quite a few times over the years, and not once have I seen Google engineers in the office for these meetings. I even flew into the area for a meeting at Mountain View once, we got escorted in by a manager, and we sat in a conference room while all the Google engineers dialed in from their homes around the Bay Area. But yeah, everyone seems to talk about Google not being remote friendly (pre-COVID, that is).
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - creato 5y ago
    Everywhere I've worked has had a policy of no remote work. Yet, if you got your work done, and your manager was OK with it (probably the case if you get work done), no one cared. I guess they could look at badge data (if your company has them) but I've never seen a company do that. I don't think I've ever had a manager that could be convinced to care about this even if some level of management did in fact care. Who the hell wants to spend time taking attendance like a schoolteacher?
  - nostrademons 5y ago
    [Also a Googler here, speaking my own interpretation rather than any official policy.] They make the official policy in-office to set the expectation that that's where you'll be, and then they can negotiate exceptions on a case-by-case basis. I've never seen a high-performing Googler (meaning one who has successfully launched a project) turned down for remote work or office transfers. They don't want the non-performing Googlers (who possibly might outnumber the high-performing ones) working remote though. If you're meeting with engineers as an external partner or customer, it's almost certain those are high-performing engineers, because they wouldn't be put in that position otherwise.

by munk-a 5y ago

kyrra 5y ago

Googler, opinion is my own. Says who? They are allowing people to apply for full remote, with an estimated 8500 so far approved. https://www.businessinsider.com/google-approved-85-of-roughly-10000-remote-work-relocation-requests-2021-8 https://www.businessinsider.com/google-approved-85-of-roughl...

Infinitesimus 5y ago
From the article > "The company also turned down requests where organizations "made a commitment to invest in key growth sites and are working to build their teams and critical mass in those particular hubs," Google told Insider." That reads like "if someone in your organization chain said they want to build a hub in your region, we'll probably deny your request because headcount need to be filled for those hubs" Which is fair for the company to do but you can see why that can trigger attrition too.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- kyrra 5y ago
  Point taken, thanks for raising it. I could definitely see some newer sites have that issue that require local teams until critical mass is hit. I guess the sites I tend to work with are already very well established, so people I've seen apply have all been accepted (of the ones I know).
travelbuffoon 5y ago
Some people aren’t even applying because their orgs have made it clear that remote won’t be approved, and some people are being denied for spurious reasons. (Best one I’ve seen is: personal reasons not strong enough for remote.) So it’s not as rosy as it seems.

UncleMeat 5y ago

Googler here. All indications pointed towards no remote option, but that switched a few months ago. Most people in software engineering roles have decent access to full time remote options, especially if they are willing to change orgs. I don't know a single case in my org (hundreds of people) who had a rejected remote application.

macksd 5y ago
I've always been confused by Google's reputation for pushing in-the-office work. I've met with... 3, I think, Google teams quite a few times over the years, and not once have I seen Google engineers in the office for these meetings. I even flew into the area for a meeting at Mountain View once, we got escorted in by a manager, and we sat in a conference room while all the Google engineers dialed in from their homes around the Bay Area. But yeah, everyone seems to talk about Google not being remote friendly (pre-COVID, that is).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- creato 5y ago
  Everywhere I've worked has had a policy of no remote work. Yet, if you got your work done, and your manager was OK with it (probably the case if you get work done), no one cared. I guess they could look at badge data (if your company has them) but I've never seen a company do that. I don't think I've ever had a manager that could be convinced to care about this even if some level of management did in fact care. Who the hell wants to spend time taking attendance like a schoolteacher?
- nostrademons 5y ago
  [Also a Googler here, speaking my own interpretation rather than any official policy.] They make the official policy in-office to set the expectation that that's where you'll be, and then they can negotiate exceptions on a case-by-case basis. I've never seen a high-performing Googler (meaning one who has successfully launched a project) turned down for remote work or office transfers. They don't want the non-performing Googlers (who possibly might outnumber the high-performing ones) working remote though. If you're meeting with engineers as an external partner or customer, it's almost certain those are high-performing engineers, because they wouldn't be put in that position otherwise.