Andy makes some good points. Like most things it's trade-offs:
- Are the benefits of office work worth the less flexible schedule and commute time?
From the perspective of middle managers+, I think it's yes at most of these companies. From the perspective of some individual contributors, probably no.
Middle managers+ have skills that become less useful in a remote environment:
- The ability to communicate well, using both their voice and body language. Additionally, they can adjust their communication style by quickly evaluating the body language and facial expressions of others. Imagine being a great communicator all your life and now you're an OK communicator.
- Likability is a skill (charisma? charm?). Managers, executives, a lot of folks have it. A lot of likability is physical. We've evolved to like certain facial expressions, eye contact, etc. Much of this is removed in a fully virtual environment. Liking someone tends to mean you trust them more, give them more slack, and work with them better. Sure, you can do this virtually, but it's limiting when it's only text and video.
...
tl;dr systematically skill we've learned or evolved that require physical presence are now under-valued. The people who have those skills want them to be useful again.
- Are the benefits of office work worth the less flexible schedule and commute time?
From the perspective of middle managers+, I think it's yes at most of these companies. From the perspective of some individual contributors, probably no.
Middle managers+ have skills that become less useful in a remote environment:
- The ability to communicate well, using both their voice and body language. Additionally, they can adjust their communication style by quickly evaluating the body language and facial expressions of others. Imagine being a great communicator all your life and now you're an OK communicator.
- Likability is a skill (charisma? charm?). Managers, executives, a lot of folks have it. A lot of likability is physical. We've evolved to like certain facial expressions, eye contact, etc. Much of this is removed in a fully virtual environment. Liking someone tends to mean you trust them more, give them more slack, and work with them better. Sure, you can do this virtually, but it's limiting when it's only text and video.
...
tl;dr systematically skill we've learned or evolved that require physical presence are now under-valued. The people who have those skills want them to be useful again.