re: The New Remote Modern Workplace

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Companies are learning they can recruit the best talent all over the country, rather than just from their own back yard. It is changing rapidly.

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I recognize this as well but talent in engineering is a lot of times different than talent in other fields where physical proximity is still essential. I did not know that about IBM's reputation, but I do know that it didn't stop them from implementing the remote work system before recognizing that it was a failure.

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Solid post, would read again. It's not like the largest business technology company in the world and one of the lead designers in current machine learning/AI systems would know shite about that anyway right?

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Surely you're aware of the numerous other companies, across multiple sectors including AI that have found their employees are more productive, right? This isn't recent news. IBM is undoubtedly in the minority.

The part of the argument you said was not true was that humans need face to face interaction with fellow workers in a team environment to promote productivity. That's some evolutionary biology shite that's not so easily refuted by a "hey company ABC is doing remote office now and they are doing great" anecdote. I brought up the IBM example because OP's premise is the hippy idea that some day in the future, we won't need offices AT ALL and we can just all work from our laptops while maintaining our craft beer hobby on the side. I just wanted to demonstrate that it is not as universal as everyone thinks and can actually be a negative in many situations.

ETA: upon actually reading OP I was probably too harsh. That's actually a pretty reasonable position. I get triggered by technology

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What type of jobs are you guys working remotely? I work in HR for an offshore company, and would love to find something business related that would allow more flexible work hours in regards to being in the office. My current company is very old fashioned...

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Look in the telecom and IT fields. I haven't had an office-based HR director for at least 5 years or so.

I am in Sales, so performance is pretty easily measurable, but I still have no problem with productivity. Again, I wasted a LOT more time when I was on the office talking football with coworkers than I do taking 3 minutes to put a load of laundry in while I am on a conference call.

I agree, office time is useful and necessary. However I'm a firm believer in the flex schedule.

Come in and get your shite done. Leave. get paid full salary

arse at a desk for 40 hours is pointless nowadays.

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The part of the argument you said was not true was that humans need face to face interaction with fellow workers in a team environment to promote productivity. That's some evolutionary biology shite that's not so easily refuted by a "hey company ABC is doing remote office now and they are doing great" anecdote.

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Where did you learn this in biology? I understand the sentiment and agree when it comes to certain roles, but many jobs don't even require a high level of motivation other than getting your shite done in a timely manner so you aren't overloaded later on. Or because you don't want to be fired. Not every job is "rah rah let's fricking go" like a trading floor on Wall St.

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just also think it's impossible to completely get rid of the necessity of the office

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I agree 100%. I'm on the road most days, but I love having my office. With my file cabinets and a quiet place to work and my own little business Kingdom. I'd hate to have all that shite it my house. Plus I enjoy the separation of house and office. Plus the office serves as a communal meeting and interacting place for coworkers and clients. It's a necessity. It's current utilization is the problem

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you should thoroughly read the subject matter before vehemently voicing your opinion.

No one has mentioned a single time that the entire office setting is going to die. Christ.

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Thanks man.

My point wasn’t that office need to be completely eliminated. I love having an office. But the “need” to be at the desk isn’t really relevant anymore.

On a day like yesterday and today with sketchy travel conditions and school/ daycare closures, it makes much more sense to tell people to take care of their essential tasks from the house than to worry about putting out messages like “be in by noon” or the like. With few exceptions most people have the capability to access the tools to do their jobs remotely especially in an emergency. Making special arrangements or putting out travel instructions that look like “turn here, then go 1/4 mile and take third street, then go down before the bridge and take Oak street, then go down to the hwy, but you’ll have to cut over to river road because the interstate is still closed...” aren’t productive.

Point is, some people still can’t separate productivity with physically being at the desk, yet give employees tools to be productive without sitting at the desk. We continue to intrude further into employees time away from work with technology but don’t allow them the advantages that come along with the technology.

Working in Telecom, WFH is possible for a couple of days MAYBE.

Sometimes customer requests we build a new BTS configuration in the lab and run a test case catalog on it. While outside of signal interference tests where you have to physically create a loose ANT line most of the catalog can be done remotely.

These requests come randomly, so it's hard to tell your PM that you are at home or in another state when a request comes through.

When we are doing strictly software testing, I do that shite from home.