Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay • Hacker News Board

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#161

Post by deanrtaylor » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:05 AM UTC

charlie0 wrote: post #15

Hybrid work is the worst of both worlds. Can't move out of a HCOL and now you have to co-ordinate with your co-workers to reap any "benefits" of being in-office. What would be really cool is reconceptualizing hybrid work as quarterly retreats, where the company provides housing and other amenities for 1 to 2 weeks every quarter. This gives everyone time to bond and work on harder problems. I get this wouldn't work as…

I prefer a hybrid work model, currently I spend two days per week in the office but it only has to be a half day as long as I'm available for meetings and sharing sessions. This schedule allows me to avoid peak traffic, enhance team relationships, and still enjoy ample time at home with my wife. Prolonged remote work tends to feel isolating and somewhat depressing. Despite the higher cost of living in these areas, businesses often thrive in such locations due to the close proximity to industry resources and collaborative opportunities. It's expensive but beneficial.

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#162

Post by joeax » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:05 AM UTC

charlie0 wrote: post #15

Hybrid work is the worst of both worlds. Can't move out of a HCOL and now you have to co-ordinate with your co-workers to reap any "benefits" of being in-office. What would be really cool is reconceptualizing hybrid work as quarterly retreats, where the company provides housing and other amenities for 1 to 2 weeks every quarter. This gives everyone time to bond and work on harder problems. I get this wouldn't work as…

Thank you for saying the quiet part out loud. I read articles stating that "the majority want hybrid", but what people truly want is freedom to work wherever it suits them best. I've been remote for 15 years, and I've seen people that want the connection an office provides, and others (like me) prefer to never set foot in an office again. Just look around at the other comments and you read differing preferences. And that's cool. Just leave me and others alone and let us work how we prefer.

As far as your quarterly meetings comment is concerned, even that is a variation of hybrid. I worked at a company once that had the quarterly meetups. It worked, but sometimes it was a disruption to a normal routine, especially for some co-workers who flew cross-country. Another company (100% remote company) had the annual weekly retreat which I liked better. You got your face time/watercooler collaboration bullshit/whatever out of the way, then 358 days of peace til the next one.

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#163

Post by alsetmusic » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:09 AM UTC

BobaFloutist wrote: post #82

TexanFeller wrote: post #16

I have ADHD and am autistic so loud open floor plan offices are a challenge. I'm in the category of people most likely to benefit from remote. Honestly it's been a much bigger challenge trying to collaborate and connect with coworkers in the new world than trying to cope with an office. People often don't perceive you as an actual human if you've only ever been a video square to them. And quick collaboration just doe…

There's a compelling argument that new hires should be work from office for their first couple of weeks, and that their team should probably spend more time in the office during the new hire's first few weeks too. That's no reason to throw out hybrid work wholesale, though, and if that's the only thing keeping a workplace from going full remote the full costs and benefits need to be weighed appropriately.

This is the most balanced take I’ve seen so far. Great and obvious call.

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#164

Post by datascienced » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:12 AM UTC

notabee wrote: post #154

datascienced wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That doesn’t make sense unless the CEO owns the building the company rents. If you have money in REIT then your company’s little decision wont affect it. Anymore than buying a single share of Apple will affect the price.

It's called class solidarity, which the wealthy are smart enough to have and everyone else gets grind culture and crab bucket mentality instead.

Still I’d rather SPX500 it than commercial real estate. In general.

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#165

Post by derwiki » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:14 AM UTC

sojournerc wrote: post #143

ndkxmwnrbto wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

your projects aren’t actually important

How do you wake up and go to work with this attitude? I've been nihilistic, but don't you think you should spend your short time on this planet doing something that matters, at least marginally? And if not, maybe make a change?

Do something outside of work that matters

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#166

Post by cookie_monsta » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:16 AM UTC

threetonesun wrote: post #95

jimkleiber wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious to know what types of interactions happen on that 90% of her time on video calls. If it's one-on-one meetings all day over video call, I can imagine why they might want to have them in the same room with someone as video calls can really drain some people (including me).

A lot of larger companies already have distributed teams though, so even if you are in an office you often can't get everyone into the same room, and you have to do a video call no matter what.

Yes, we're distributed with 5 locations across town. I had to go to a one hour meeting across town once which chewed up 3 hours of my day after driving and parking and whatnot was factored in. Videoconferencing makes 100% sense for our organisation.

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#167

Post by joeax » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:17 AM UTC

junto wrote: post #64

I question the competency of any CEO that enforces people return to the office on a whim. We have crossed the rubicon on remote work. The shift has been well and truly paradigmed. To choose to restrict your candidate pool to a small geographical location, pay relocation, pay higher salaries, have a lower employee NPS, have higher company carbon emissions, whilst your competitors have a much larger non-geographically…

What is happening is people who are being forced into RTO are demanding a higher salary. Basic supply and demand dynamics are coming into play. Those CEOs are now learning this perhaps the (not surprising) hard way.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20240322-us-salaries-hi...

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#168

Post by cookie_monsta » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:18 AM UTC

grugagag wrote: post #142

warcher wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is nothing in the world stupider than driving into the office to get on a video call.

I do it 5 days a week, all year round

Same. Then I email, IM and work in the cloud on my company laptop for the rest of the day...

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#169

Post by benatkin » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:20 AM UTC

BobaFloutist wrote: post #82

TexanFeller wrote: post #16

I have ADHD and am autistic so loud open floor plan offices are a challenge. I'm in the category of people most likely to benefit from remote. Honestly it's been a much bigger challenge trying to collaborate and connect with coworkers in the new world than trying to cope with an office. People often don't perceive you as an actual human if you've only ever been a video square to them. And quick collaboration just doe…

There's a compelling argument that new hires should be work from office for their first couple of weeks, and that their team should probably spend more time in the office during the new hire's first few weeks too. That's no reason to throw out hybrid work wholesale, though, and if that's the only thing keeping a workplace from going full remote the full costs and benefits need to be weighed appropriately.

> their team should probably spend more time in the office during the new hire's first few weeks too

Would this be mandatory? If so, a team member might be inclined to sabotage a new hire.

Re: Defeated CEOs are now conceding hybrid working is here to stay

#170

Post by cwbriscoe » Sat, Apr 13, 2024, 2:21 AM UTC

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #128

al_borland wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I found a lot of people treat being in the office as the job. They can walk around, socialize, and not really do anything useful, but they are “at work”, so it’s ok. Meanwhile, people at home feel like they need to prove their worth and make sure their impact is being felt, so they work harder.

My co-workers now do remote standup, travel to the office to get in around 10:30, and leave at 3 to make it home for 4 and log out at 5. So much more efficient than just... staying home and working the entire day.

That is what I plan to do when I have to start going back into the office 2 days a week in Summer 2025. Or just find another job that is full-time remote.