[Someone1234]

Does it matter though?

I mean that literally, does actual data matter? The data in support of telecommuting has been around for years if you want to find it, heck you even pay employees less in some circumstances as they can live in lower COL areas (plus cost savings in fewer offices/smaller offices/rental instead of ownership/etc).

But the reality is that a certain type of employee rises through the ranks: Those who have a strong aptitude towards interpersonal connection (i.e. extraverts). They're also a loud[er] group. They benefit more from in-person than telecommuting, and they also often make the decisions.

Do you really expect a group of decision makers, who gained power via their interpersonal skills, wanting to give up that skill advantage and potential turn their business into a meritocracy?

COVID was a rare blip, because it tipped the scales just enough to make their position untenable, but in five years I do not anticipate any broad change in landscape. Heck even before a lot of people had a chance to get vaccinated many businesses are RUSHING back into the office, why? The same inexplicable reason we're there to begin with.

[sokoloff]

It was a world-wide pre/post test to be sure. I think that most companies will be better off to go back into the offices because the alternative is to carefully think through the work and write a lot of things down.

People would rather talk than write, on average.

[walshemj]

Trying to get some people to understand adding version numbers to filenames instead of

tpsreport-final-final-iralymenit-fianly-freds-changes.xlst

Seems to be really hard - let alone doing minutes and action points correctly

[solosoyokaze]

> It was a world-wide pre/post test to be sure. I think that most companies will be better off to go back into the offices because the alternative is to carefully think through the work and write a lot of things down.

Companies that do this will be at a distinct advantage over companies that rely on informal, ad-hoc, in-person conversations. There are many companies that have been started during the pandemic that are remote first and have the process to back it up. I don't think in-person companies can compete between lack of access to talent, undocumented communication, office politics, employee stress and fatigue due to commuting, living in a high cost of living area and the previously mentioned politics...

I'd also say a lot of management is actually unneeded, which also comes to light in remote first companies.

[dleslie]

It's strange that you're being down-voted, considering how important business intelligence is to success, and the concerns about commuting, housing costs et al are likewise well-founded.

I think there's folks who simply miss the social environment of an office, and are loathe to consider that perhaps they were counter-productive for their coworkers.