Ask HN: Why are everybody going back to hybrid? Did remote work fail?

[eewfdsfsfds]

It feels that pretty much all companies are going back to a hybrid model these days. There is a scarcity for remote jobs, at least in the Scandinavia.

Is this due to remote work model failing or the current weak economic climate or due to some other factors I am not considering?

I wish that working across the European borders should be more accessible than it is today.

https://archive.is/20230511110219/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-remote-work-revolution-fail/#selection-1145.79-1149.214

[gigatexal]

At least for my employer I think it's equal parts a good-faith argument to come back to the office and a bad-faith one.

The good-faith argument. They say that by being in the office more often it will improve team cohesion and possibly improve productivity and even create more opportunities for cross-team connections (random meetings in the lunch hall, hallways, etc.).

The bad-faith argument. They've spent millions building out new office space for a workforce that was likely larger than it is now and to see it go unused would be a shame. Solution: mandatory 2-days in the office. Lol.

[dustingetz]

it’s about accountability or perception thereof, mgmt thinks workers are working less hard without supervision. they cannot say it aloud due to backlash but corps are spreadsheet optimizing machines they cannot help but optimize the perceived inefficiency. and at your typical corp where a lot of the work is fake (or at least perceived that way by workers), who can blame either side? the workers sometimes grift (whether or not wfh) and the managers are even worse, grifting their way up the fake ladder by stealing credit and politicking, and the executives are by far the worst for grifting their employees (taking all surplus, layoffs, fake stock options), their customers (delivering trash products and rent seeking) and society at large (grifting the environment, creating monopolies, military contracts). Corporations grifters all the way up and down, who can blame anyone for trying to capture what money is on the table so they can give their kids a better life. if you don’t like it, join a mission driven startup or nonprofit (and leave the six figure salary behind!)

[lusus_naturae]

> Corporations grifters all the way up and down, who can blame anyone for trying to capture what money is on the table so they can give their kids a better life

Pervasive sentiment that is repeated almost everywhere, but I am unsure is reflected in reality. For example, are you grifting? Is your spouse? Is your family?

Leaving aside self-reflection (that may perhaps break these delusions, which is why I asked), I am wondering how you think anything gets built or done if everyone is running a grift? For example, where did the computer you typed this one come from? How did your house spring into existence? What did you eat today?

I don't blame anyone for thinking this way because hyper-capitalism has created a lot of reasons for dissatisfaction and discontent. Is everything a grift though? No. Are there people who do that? The best examples I can think of that are relevant for the HN audience are Holmes and SBF. Without any evidence, I don't think it's fair or accurate to call someone a grifter, or assume that they are. It's not smart, clever or forward-thinking to be pessimistic if all you can do with that pessimism is create delusions.

[dustingetz]

I am not. I am a mission driven founder operating a sustainable business that is massively +EV for society at large.

> Is everything a grift though?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principal%E2%80%93agent_proble...

Note I used the word "perception" three times in my comment.

"In mass communication, the important thing is not how things are but how they seem to be." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiio%27s_laws

[coolvision]

Most software projects are quite trivial and routine. If such a project can be efficiently done remotely, there is an option to hire remove devs from EU, and there is a much cheaper option to outsource to India, Eastern Europe, etc... Most companies choose outsourcing.

Outsourcing has it's overheads, but even if hiring remote would be a better fit, most companies can't adapt fast, and for most companies that are not startups, few years are not that much time.

The best way to work remotely is to move a place with low cost of living, and bid on jobs from all over the world, in this case there are plenty of options to choose from.

[eewfdsfsfds]

> The best way to work remotely is to move a place with low cost of living, and bid on jobs from all over the world, in this case there are plenty of options to choose from.

If it only was that easy to land one of those few remote jobs out there. Honestly feels easier to earn money as an indiehacker than doing that.

[jt2190]

One of the sources quoted in the article is Stanford Economist Nick Bloom. He did an interview a few years ago. The transcript ish here:

“What workers want” (2021) https://greylock.com/greymatter/nicholas-bloom-stanford-what...