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Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

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Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#121

Post by [deleted] »

bradlys wrote: post #110
gregkerzhner wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Curious, do the members of your team have activities, hobbies, and relationships they are involved with outside of work? From what I have seen the folks itching to get back to the office are the ones that don't have many outlets outside of work. On the other hand, for many of us who do have significant non work passions (rock climbing for me) as well as social circles around these activities appreciate remote work be…

It sounds more like your friends lived somewhere different than where you lived. You were traveling to see your friends and now you don't have to travel because you live closer to them. Remote work can be good for that scenario but you could've also just fully embraced your true destiny to become a dirtbag. Remote work basically doesn't change anything for the activities I'd like to do. Mine are centered around major…

[deleted]

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#122

Post by mech422 »

01100011 wrote: post #112
azurezyq wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Disclaimer: Googler managing a small product engineering team. I have to say WFH has a considerable impact on productivity. Coding is actually fine, but the problems are: 1. Designing over VC is very difficult, especially for something entirely new. 3~4 people working on a single whiteboard is far more efficient. 2. Personal relationships are difficult to grow, especially for newbies. Usually those things got grown v…

This depends. The problems we've been working on as a team are really too big to work out on a whiteboard. I think for my team, WFH is just fine. I'm nearing the end of one of the most complicated software projects I've ever worked on and don't feel like any of our issues were related to WFH. Over the last year I've actually started to connect with my team. We have weekly video chats and spend hours socializing. As a…

>> As an older engineer with bad hearing

Heh.. I can sympathize. I find voice chat with a decent head set makes it SOO much easier to hear/understand people. And it basically eliminates multiple people speaking at once - the 'muddle' that turned into used to drive me crazy.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#123

Post by giantandroids »

castlecrasher2 wrote: post #7

As someone who's worked only remotely for several years, this makes sense. I know many will disagree with this assertion but in my estimation in-person collaboration is far better than online-only. I think the best balance is at least a couple days per week in the office and the rest remote.

> but in my estimation in-person collaboration is far better than online-only.

Being able to talk to others in person and quickly is certainly useful, but its a double edged sword as that quite often results in your stream of thoughts being disrupted and focus gone in a flash. This is one of the reasons I love WFH as a developer. I can get right into my zone and focus on solving problems or being creative without someone walking up to my desk to ask if I read the email they sent me.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#124

Post by carlivar »

person_of_color wrote: post #105
tyingq wrote: post #104

And, now that they don't have to be first, Amazon is in: Amazon updates remote work guidance, plans to ‘return to an office-centric culture as our baseline’ https://www.geekwire.com/2021/amazon-updates-remote-work-gui... oof.

Today is a big disaster for those who foresaw changes in the workplace. Now we have only tier 2 companies (Dropbox/Spotify) who have gone full remote.

Tier 2 in what exactly?

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#125

Post by frongpik »

dividefuel wrote: post #90
tyingq wrote: post #4

That's interesting, since my assumption is that Google would be fairly data driven. I'd be curious if Googlers feel like this is because they are really seeing reduced productivity, or if there's a different motivation.

(Googler, opinions are my own) I don't think Google has really justified why the return to the office is necessary for all employees, beyond saying that it's a key part of the culture. Obviously the office is a part of the culture, and most employees want to be in the office at least some of the time. But to me, that doesn't explain why you can't offer a remote option for the employees who want it. A charitable expla…

Or even simpler: execs own super expensive real estate in the tech hubs and the only thing that supports the prices is the hoards of employees that have to live in the area.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#126

Post by frongpik »

mbgerring wrote: post #30

It would be interesting for someone to look into the value of the commercial real estate holdings of the big tech companies in any examination of why they are declaring the end of permanent remote work.

It's published in quarterly financial reports. Iirc, their real estate is worth 100B.

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#127

Post by [deleted] »

ralph84 wrote: post #61

> If employees want to work from home beyond Sept. 1, they will need to formally apply for a max of 14 days annually Somehow this sounds to me like: "Oh, and remember: next Friday... is Hawaiian shirt day. So, you know, if you want to, go ahead and wear a Hawaiian shirt and jeans."

[deleted]

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#128

Post by [deleted] »

gregkerzhner wrote: post #37
bilal4hmed wrote: post #13

After spending more than a year remote, full remote is difficult ( not impossible ) . Most of us have settled on 3 days at home, 2 days at work, so we can socialize, make new connections or just simply have lunch. Going back to in office 100% is a thing of the past unless you are a team that has to be there - making hardware etc. For ex I cant imagine the Pixel team working 100% remote.

Curious, do the members of your team have activities, hobbies, and relationships they are involved with outside of work? From what I have seen the folks itching to get back to the office are the ones that don't have many outlets outside of work. On the other hand, for many of us who do have significant non work passions (rock climbing for me) as well as social circles around these activities appreciate remote work be…

[deleted]

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#129

Post by Valkhyr »

After a year working remotely, I don't think I'd be willing to go back to working fully (or even primarily) in the office.

I could do a day here or there for team-building activities or major meetings, but that's pretty much the extent I'd be willing to do.

Granted, this is based on having a 40-minutes train commute (each way, so 80 minutes/day), but unless I could have a 10 minute walk or bike commute I don't think my opinion would materially change, and that's pretty unlikely where I live due to downtown property/rent prices (Tokyo).

Re: Google is accelerating reopening of offices and putting limits on remote work

#130

Post by azemetre »

saagarjha wrote: post #27
tyingq wrote: post #4

That's interesting, since my assumption is that Google would be fairly data driven. I'd be curious if Googlers feel like this is because they are really seeing reduced productivity, or if there's a different motivation.

"Data driven" is frequently code for "we'll pick metrics that support what we want".

Yeah, it's very easy to pick and gain metrics to support whatever view point you want to espouse. We see this in politics all the time, sometimes even multiple politicians using the same data set to push wildly different proposals. Why would Google be any different?

Kinda seems odd too because the only metric that you would think matters (stock price) would have heavy consideration (~90% growth since March 2020).

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