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As someone who has moved long distance (from NYC to SF and back) for a job, all you're doing is creating 6 months to a year of hell for the employees that actua

As someone who has moved long distance (from NYC to SF and back) for a job, all you're doing is creating 6 months to a year of hell for the employees that actually relocate to San Mateo. It is not easy to uproot your life. It is not pain free. If the excuse is that you want your workers to be productive, are you considering the productivity impact on the workers that take up the offer to relocate? If a remote worker sucks, fire them. If not, let them be. As far as the opportunities for junior workers, as it has always been, it's on the managers and more senior engineers to cultivate that. It is on the juniors to put in the effort. If they're not doing it remotely (for the juniors, putting in the work, for the management and seniors, putting in the effort to cultivate the junior), why would you think they would do it in person?

JambalayaJim 3y ago
> it’s up to the juniors to put in the effort Take the most motivated, extroverted, confident junior you know. Even this junior doesn’t know what they don’t know; what to ask about; what’s worth asking about. I think seasoned professionals severely underestimate how foundational the first couple years of the workforce are. How much they themselves were able to absorb just being colocated with senior people. I’m not even talking about technical or domain or company knowledge but basic workplace professionals, social skills, etc. But of course you cannot simply assume that this wonder-kind junior is every single junior in the first place. More importantly maybe, you cannot assume seniors will all have the motivation to mentor an avatar on their screen.
- John23832 3y ago
  > Take the most motivated, extroverted, confident junior you know. Even this junior doesn’t know what they don’t know; what to ask about; what’s worth asking about. I don't think you finished or understood what I wrote. Juniors knowing what to do, what to ask about, what is worth asking about, comes from interactions with management and senior engineers. That should be happening regardless of remote or not. If management and senior engineers aren't cultivating juniors remotely, they won't do it in person either. Remote management doesn't abscond them of that responsibility.
  - JambalayaJim 3y ago
    Interactions with management and senior engineers are 1000% more frequent in person. Both because passive interactions are more common, and because people in person simply take more of an interest. > Remote management doesn't abscond them of that responsibility. No, of course not. But it does (1) make them care less about it, (2) let them get away with doing much less of it, and (3) make it much harder for them to do.

JambalayaJim 3y ago

> it’s up to the juniors to put in the effort Take the most motivated, extroverted, confident junior you know. Even this junior doesn’t know what they don’t know; what to ask about; what’s worth asking about. I think seasoned professionals severely underestimate how foundational the first couple years of the workforce are. How much they themselves were able to absorb just being colocated with senior people. I’m not even talking about technical or domain or company knowledge but basic workplace professionals, social skills, etc. But of course you cannot simply assume that this wonder-kind junior is every single junior in the first place. More importantly maybe, you cannot assume seniors will all have the motivation to mentor an avatar on their screen.

John23832 3y ago
> Take the most motivated, extroverted, confident junior you know. Even this junior doesn’t know what they don’t know; what to ask about; what’s worth asking about. I don't think you finished or understood what I wrote. Juniors knowing what to do, what to ask about, what is worth asking about, comes from interactions with management and senior engineers. That should be happening regardless of remote or not. If management and senior engineers aren't cultivating juniors remotely, they won't do it in person either. Remote management doesn't abscond them of that responsibility.
- JambalayaJim 3y ago
  Interactions with management and senior engineers are 1000% more frequent in person. Both because passive interactions are more common, and because people in person simply take more of an interest. > Remote management doesn't abscond them of that responsibility. No, of course not. But it does (1) make them care less about it, (2) let them get away with doing much less of it, and (3) make it much harder for them to do.