4 ms·

Remote work isn't just about the company results though (their profits, their effectivity), the point they're making in the article, which I believe in, is the

Remote work isn't just about the company results though (their profits, their effectivity), the point they're making in the article, which I believe in, is the effect on the human wellbeing. On average a lot of people might benefit from a more intimate/collegial environment (which the article says), and depending on your personality and skills it may be harder for some young people to get ahead when not being in the office (they might not be noticed, they might not build the right networks or be part of serendipitous important conversations etc.). I think we're moving fast to a world where many knowledge workers are becoming zero-career fend-for-yourself, kpi-only, you-wont-have-an-office, we-dont-know-you, "widget cranking" gig workers, and trust me that only benefits the shareholders and "the company"..

dmitrygr 4y ago
> On average a lot of people might benefit from a more intimate/collegial environment I'll decide myself what's better for me "on average" thanks
- daniel_iversen 4y ago
  You're welcome :) hence why I'm NOT speaking about "you" or "me".. and I'm not talking about the fluffy social side only - there's a lot of interesting studies (incl our own below) and many areas of modern work sucks and that it seems like the more we've moved to remote work in the last couple of years the more we've seen increases in things like working late, doing duplicate work, time spent in unnecessary meetings[1]. Also, we've seen that working parents with children at home are also experiencing a higher level of imposter syndrome (67%) vs non-parents (57%)[2]. Suffice to say "remote work" isn't the answer for everyone and everything (and funnily enough if you read paper #2, turns out people prefer a mix) [1]: https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work [2]: https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work-summary https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work-summary
spaetzleesser 4y ago
"I think we're moving fast to a world where many knowledge workers are becoming zero-career fend-for-yourself, kpi-only, you-wont-have-an-office, we-dont-know-you, "widget cranking" gig workers, and trust me that only benefits the shareholders and "the company".." Employers will do that anyway no matter you are at the office or not.
- pg_1234 4y ago
  Yeah ... we got there, in-office, over a decade ago.
eyelidlessness 4y ago
> the point they're making in the article You may want to re-read the article. You’re welcome to prefer working at an office, but the article is heartily roasting a person’s hypocrisy: he famously works remotely himself, but advocates a return to the office for others. As far as the substance of your opinion as expressed, I’ve worked remotely for the vast majority of the last two decades. There have been times (and specific jobs) I could say matched some of what you describe, other times (including my current role) where there’s no resemblance whatsoever. But importantly, in no case would I want anyone to arbitrarily determine for me what working arrangement would be best for my wellbeing, unless I’ve been deemed incompetent. I’d certainly listen if a friend outside of work said they think I’d benefit from more time working in an office. But I’m definitely not interested in that insight from business leaders, hypocritical authors, or randos on the Internet. In short: you want to work in an office? Great, go work in an office!
Retric 4y ago
The number of people getting ahead at a company is very close to zero sum. Someone needs to manage the team, someone needs to get work done, and companies need to pay market rate for both. Saying some type of people are better off in an equally effect system just means some other group of people are worse off in it. As to knowledge workers fending for themselves, it’s mostly a question if a company can make full use of an employees specialization. Employees cost less per hour and prioritize the companies work, but must be paid based on the market rate for their most valuable skills. That basic preference for employees isn’t going away.

dmitrygr 4y ago

> On average a lot of people might benefit from a more intimate/collegial environment I'll decide myself what's better for me "on average" thanks

daniel_iversen 4y ago
You're welcome :) hence why I'm NOT speaking about "you" or "me".. and I'm not talking about the fluffy social side only - there's a lot of interesting studies (incl our own below) and many areas of modern work sucks and that it seems like the more we've moved to remote work in the last couple of years the more we've seen increases in things like working late, doing duplicate work, time spent in unnecessary meetings[1]. Also, we've seen that working parents with children at home are also experiencing a higher level of imposter syndrome (67%) vs non-parents (57%)[2]. Suffice to say "remote work" isn't the answer for everyone and everything (and funnily enough if you read paper #2, turns out people prefer a mix) [1]: https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work [2]: https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work-summary https://asana.com/resources/anatomy-of-work-summary

spaetzleesser 4y ago

"I think we're moving fast to a world where many knowledge workers are becoming zero-career fend-for-yourself, kpi-only, you-wont-have-an-office, we-dont-know-you, "widget cranking" gig workers, and trust me that only benefits the shareholders and "the company".." Employers will do that anyway no matter you are at the office or not.

pg_1234 4y ago
Yeah ... we got there, in-office, over a decade ago.

eyelidlessness 4y ago

> the point they're making in the article You may want to re-read the article. You’re welcome to prefer working at an office, but the article is heartily roasting a person’s hypocrisy: he famously works remotely himself, but advocates a return to the office for others. As far as the substance of your opinion as expressed, I’ve worked remotely for the vast majority of the last two decades. There have been times (and specific jobs) I could say matched some of what you describe, other times (including my current role) where there’s no resemblance whatsoever. But importantly, in no case would I want anyone to arbitrarily determine for me what working arrangement would be best for my wellbeing, unless I’ve been deemed incompetent. I’d certainly listen if a friend outside of work said they think I’d benefit from more time working in an office. But I’m definitely not interested in that insight from business leaders, hypocritical authors, or randos on the Internet. In short: you want to work in an office? Great, go work in an office!

Retric 4y ago

The number of people getting ahead at a company is very close to zero sum. Someone needs to manage the team, someone needs to get work done, and companies need to pay market rate for both. Saying some type of people are better off in an equally effect system just means some other group of people are worse off in it. As to knowledge workers fending for themselves, it’s mostly a question if a company can make full use of an employees specialization. Employees cost less per hour and prioritize the companies work, but must be paid based on the market rate for their most valuable skills. That basic preference for employees isn’t going away.