5 ms·

Anecdotally my org is on a hiring tear lately and we're completely remote, and the quality of candidates has steeply risen as of late. I mean really good candid

Anecdotally my org is on a hiring tear lately and we're completely remote, and the quality of candidates has steeply risen as of late. I mean really good candidates I'd rarely see before are pouring into my inbox. I've never talked to so many folks currently at Google, Meta, Amazon, but also big banks and other F500s. Many candidates are coy about their reasons for leaving, especially given all the layoffs, but, still anecdotally, the trend I've seen is for folks to be sending out a lot of feelers during RTO and many folks have even told me straight up that's why they're looking. They want flexible hours and work locations. I talked to a director last week who spends 1/3 the year in ski country, 1/3 the year in the Midwest and 1/3 the year on the coast. He's not going back, and practically anyone would be lucky to have him. It's going to be a bloodbath.

antisthenes 3y ago
> I talked to a director last week who spends 1/3 the year in ski country, 1/3 the year in the Midwest and 1/3 the year on the coast. He's not going back, and practically anyone would be lucky to have him. Does he actually spend any time working?
- xyzzy_plugh 3y ago
  The folks I've known to do this have been hard workers, so I would guess yes. I used to work with an incredible engineer who went skiing from 6-9am every day and then again at 6pm, weather permitting. Slopes were 5 minutes from his front door. If you tried to fit this sort of thing in while working in an office, then no you probably wouldn't spend much time working, and that's the whole point.
- McDyver 3y ago
  > Does he actually spend any time working? This seems the exact thought process of management wanting people to RTO. They forget there's time, and life, after working hours. And the less you need to commute, the more free time you have to actually live and enjoy life.
  - antisthenes 3y ago
    I can't imagine essentially "moving" to a new place 3 times a year. I have pets and would need to take at least 3-4 days off to pack and move everything, so unless this dude owns 3 properties, it seems like a massive time expenditure to do this. Not to mention being incredibly stressful (which would make me less productive). Unless they are a digital nomad with a laptop and a pair of flip-flops. I make no assumptions about their actual work day. Maybe they are incredibly productive.
    - dustedcodes 3y ago
      What? > I can't imagine essentially "moving" to a new place 3 times a year. You're not moving. You don't need to pack your microwave, sofa and stamp collection and organise 3 trucks to move all your stuff. You pack 1 or 2 suitcases with the things you need for the climate for 4 months (which goes by faster than you think). > I have pets Ok, others don't so I don't see how that's relevant > would need to take at least 3-4 days off to pack and move everything As I said, it's only 1-2 suitcases. You can pack them in a couple hours. If you need an entire day then you do it on a Saturday. Not sure why packing requires extra time off work. You make everything sound so stressful. Do you tend to stress about many normal life things? > so unless this dude owns 3 properties Perhaps they do, but truthfully you don't need to own a place to spend somewhere 4 months. I've been to places for a few months and most rentals have fully fitted kitchens and basic things such as hair dryers, etc. > Not to mention being incredibly stressful (which would make me less productive). Being stressed over nothing sounds like a subjective you problem, not a general problem. People also pack suitcases to go on holiday and going somewhere nice is for most people associated with happy hormones and not stress hormones. > I make no assumptions about their actual work day. Maybe they are incredibly productive. Exactly, they are incredibly productive because nothing was said that would even remotely suggest the opposite.
  - FreshStart 3y ago
    Protestant work ethic needs constant surveillance from above or else all humans do is sinning and slothing. Completely opposed to the self-employed employee model that gets stuff done out of intrinsic motivation.
- briandear 3y ago
  How does location determine how much someone works?
  - theshrike79 3y ago
    The old think is that you're only supposed to have fun on the weekends. Weeks are for WORKING. People recoil when you tell them you go to the gym in the middle of the work day and maybe walk the dog in the afternoon.
- Volundr 3y ago
  FWIW we had an engineer who basically did this, and he was definitely a top performer. Depending on where he was and what the activity he was there for he might work nonstandard hours, but he definitely got shit done. Director level non-standard hours might be a non-starter, but nothing about the lifestyle demanded it, it was really just about maximizing the time spent skiing or whatever. One could always knock of at 5 and get a few hours in.
  - antonjs 3y ago
    Also much easier to ski or hike on the weekend if it's right next door rather than a four hour drive (looking at you I80). Add in potentially having kids growing up around nature and even working standard hours M-F can make the work remote from your preferred environment much more worth it.

antisthenes 3y ago

> I talked to a director last week who spends 1/3 the year in ski country, 1/3 the year in the Midwest and 1/3 the year on the coast. He's not going back, and practically anyone would be lucky to have him. Does he actually spend any time working?

xyzzy_plugh 3y ago
The folks I've known to do this have been hard workers, so I would guess yes. I used to work with an incredible engineer who went skiing from 6-9am every day and then again at 6pm, weather permitting. Slopes were 5 minutes from his front door. If you tried to fit this sort of thing in while working in an office, then no you probably wouldn't spend much time working, and that's the whole point.
McDyver 3y ago
> Does he actually spend any time working? This seems the exact thought process of management wanting people to RTO. They forget there's time, and life, after working hours. And the less you need to commute, the more free time you have to actually live and enjoy life.
- antisthenes 3y ago
  I can't imagine essentially "moving" to a new place 3 times a year. I have pets and would need to take at least 3-4 days off to pack and move everything, so unless this dude owns 3 properties, it seems like a massive time expenditure to do this. Not to mention being incredibly stressful (which would make me less productive). Unless they are a digital nomad with a laptop and a pair of flip-flops. I make no assumptions about their actual work day. Maybe they are incredibly productive.
  - dustedcodes 3y ago
    What? > I can't imagine essentially "moving" to a new place 3 times a year. You're not moving. You don't need to pack your microwave, sofa and stamp collection and organise 3 trucks to move all your stuff. You pack 1 or 2 suitcases with the things you need for the climate for 4 months (which goes by faster than you think). > I have pets Ok, others don't so I don't see how that's relevant > would need to take at least 3-4 days off to pack and move everything As I said, it's only 1-2 suitcases. You can pack them in a couple hours. If you need an entire day then you do it on a Saturday. Not sure why packing requires extra time off work. You make everything sound so stressful. Do you tend to stress about many normal life things? > so unless this dude owns 3 properties Perhaps they do, but truthfully you don't need to own a place to spend somewhere 4 months. I've been to places for a few months and most rentals have fully fitted kitchens and basic things such as hair dryers, etc. > Not to mention being incredibly stressful (which would make me less productive). Being stressed over nothing sounds like a subjective you problem, not a general problem. People also pack suitcases to go on holiday and going somewhere nice is for most people associated with happy hormones and not stress hormones. > I make no assumptions about their actual work day. Maybe they are incredibly productive. Exactly, they are incredibly productive because nothing was said that would even remotely suggest the opposite.
- FreshStart 3y ago
  Protestant work ethic needs constant surveillance from above or else all humans do is sinning and slothing. Completely opposed to the self-employed employee model that gets stuff done out of intrinsic motivation.
briandear 3y ago
How does location determine how much someone works?
- theshrike79 3y ago
  The old think is that you're only supposed to have fun on the weekends. Weeks are for WORKING. People recoil when you tell them you go to the gym in the middle of the work day and maybe walk the dog in the afternoon.
Volundr 3y ago
FWIW we had an engineer who basically did this, and he was definitely a top performer. Depending on where he was and what the activity he was there for he might work nonstandard hours, but he definitely got shit done. Director level non-standard hours might be a non-starter, but nothing about the lifestyle demanded it, it was really just about maximizing the time spent skiing or whatever. One could always knock of at 5 and get a few hours in.
- antonjs 3y ago
  Also much easier to ski or hike on the weekend if it's right next door rather than a four hour drive (looking at you I80). Add in potentially having kids growing up around nature and even working standard hours M-F can make the work remote from your preferred environment much more worth it.