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

Question

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 · Accepted Answer

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.

coolvision · Answer

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.

jt2190 · Answer

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:&ldquo;What workers want&rdquo; (2021) https://greylock.com/greymatter/nicholas-bloom-stanford-what...