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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

#71

Post by johnwyles »

0xy wrote: post #22

Remote work is terrible for productivity especially if the company was not already remote first. In my employer, we've noticed a 30-40% productivity dip across the board. Not only that, but people are reporting more stress and are working unhealthy hours. Replying to emails at 9pm, etc. The communication breakdowns are constant. Previously you'd absorb information through osmosis, but the watercooler chat about proje…

Oddly at the place I was with we saw literally the exact same metrics but inverse: productivity increase by mid-30%. Everyone hated the office so that makes sense.

My philosophy on it is that management is key. If butts-in-seats gives management the illusion of productivity then they will likely find out they are dead wrong. You can practically objectively measure productivity with remote work. Collaboration is more challenging and therefore surfaces many efficiencies you can make in your process.

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

#72

Post by TigeriusKirk »

azurezyq wrote: post #32
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.

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…

Working remote is a skill. Like other work-related skills, it takes effort and attention to develop it. It's likely most people haven't made that effort in the last year, since the situation was seen to be temporary.

I've worked full remote for almost a decade now. It was hard at first, until I realized there were solutions to the problems I encountered and it would take conscious effort on my part to get it done.

It's definitely possible for remote developers to achieve at least as much productivity as in person devs. But it's also understandable if people/companies don't want to make that effort.

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

#73

Post by 0xy »

perardi wrote: post #45
0xy wrote: post #22

Remote work is terrible for productivity especially if the company was not already remote first. In my employer, we've noticed a 30-40% productivity dip across the board. Not only that, but people are reporting more stress and are working unhealthy hours. Replying to emails at 9pm, etc. The communication breakdowns are constant. Previously you'd absorb information through osmosis, but the watercooler chat about proje…

Your feelings are very much not shared in regards to productivity. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/us-remote-work-su... I will grant you that multi-person video meetings are subpar. Which is a blessing, because now we have smaller meetings.

Would Google be doing this if they thought it would reduce productivity?

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

#74

Post by ryandrake »

6gvONxR4sf7o wrote: post #59
TeMPOraL wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Couple days per week in the office" kind of defeats the whole point of going remote in the first place.

If you're only coming in a few days a week, you don't need to live as close to the office. Like the difference between a 30 minute commute twice a day five days a week versus a 90 minute commute twice a day once a week.

It's certainly better than nothing. I agree that different people like WFH for different reasons. For my job, anything that lets me move farther from the Bay Area would be better. 1 day WFH per week doesn't let me do that, but maybe 3 days WFH per week would. My current commute is 4 hours, so maybe Id be willing to do an 8 hour commute if it was only twice a week. A week per month would be even better: I could move out of $tate and just fly to the South Bay once a month.

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

#75

Post by reemployed »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #12
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.

"Couple days per week in the office" kind of defeats the whole point of going remote in the first place.

+1. I was surprised by myself when deciding between competing offers recently. Even after enduring a year of isolation, and beginning my search with the express goal of joining a team on-site, I chose the fully remote position. I found the on-site guys tended to be old-school (not meant as a compliment). Also, in such turbulent and uncertain times, I realized that mobility is a major benefit. If my city turns even more Mad Max this summer (the jobs aren't coming back, people are pissed...), it will be a relief to be able to "bug out" with zero ceremony.

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

#76

Post by nullserver »

gher-shyu3i wrote: post #63
tootie wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a senior manager and also a hardcore introvert. In my many years of office work I would actively avoid having lunch around anyone from the office as much as possible. Lunch is my only alone time when I'm crammed in an office all day.

How do you balance being a manager, a position that requires heavily dealing and engaging with people, with being an introvert?

One viewpoint I like.

Extroverts gain energy from social interactions. Introverts lose energy. The inverse for time alone.

I’m introverted.

But can be quite social, and even enjoy it. However I absolutely have to have down time after to recharge from it.

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

#77

Post by ryandrake »

maxerickson wrote: post #16
lupire wrote: post #10

What does "accelerating" mean?

They are opening the offices earlier in the year than they had planned. Presumably the increasing availability of vaccines factors into it, lots of new information between Nov 1. and the last few weeks.

It seems foolish to rush things as cases are once again back on the rise, which means deaths will likely be rising in about 2 weeks. And why are cases on the rise? Because people are, once again, pretending we are getting back to normal and going back to their old germ transmission daily life. How many times do we need to go through this Grand Opening / Grand Closing cycle before we learn?

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

#78

Post by rainyMammoth »

gher-shyu3i wrote: post #63
tootie wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a senior manager and also a hardcore introvert. In my many years of office work I would actively avoid having lunch around anyone from the office as much as possible. Lunch is my only alone time when I'm crammed in an office all day.

How do you balance being a manager, a position that requires heavily dealing and engaging with people, with being an introvert?

I am an introvert and absolutely hate group behaviors and nonsensical smalltalk around lunch time. However I have no issue being a manager and talking to people on 1:1s or with a clean agenda and subject to discuss.

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

#79

Post by eximius »

Aeolun wrote: post #67
eximius wrote: post #39

The title and article feel slightly misleading. It is allowing some offices to have people who want to come back early, come back. It is sticking by its commitment of allowing WFH until September and looking at hybrid models for after. Personally, a hybrid model seems ideal to me. I dislike remote full time.

A hybrid model with a maximum of 14 days a year is not a hybrid model at all. That’s the real news for me. After the pandemic is over Google will go back to a full-onsite team.

My understanding is that's not the case, that the 14 day limit (which I haven't heard about, actually) is for only WFH full time over an extended period.

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

#80

Post by maxerickson »

ryandrake wrote: post #77
maxerickson wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are opening the offices earlier in the year than they had planned. Presumably the increasing availability of vaccines factors into it, lots of new information between Nov 1. and the last few weeks.

It seems foolish to rush things as cases are once again back on the rise, which means deaths will likely be rising in about 2 weeks. And why are cases on the rise? Because people are, once again, pretending we are getting back to normal and going back to their old germ transmission daily life. How many times do we need to go through this Grand Opening / Grand Closing cycle before we learn?

Yeah, I wasn't endorsing it.

(Fully) Vaccinated people spending time together seems safe enough though, so the choice to work in office is probably fine (whereas requiring it is premature).

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