OK looks like the end of the golden era of remote IT. Probably won't happen again in the feasible future or something bad happens.
A startup can now afford hiring better talent at lower costs, because people value remote work so much.
Remote doesn't necessarily mean working from home. There are people in situations (having babies / toddlers?) where their productivity would improve from working outside the home, so startups should offer to pay for a local coworking space or a similar arrangement.
But I don't know if that's how investors think?
Most of the RTO reasons barely make sense for investors investing in startups, but may for established companies. Things like this RTO push rarely happen without a reason.
Off the top of my head:
- tax cuts if you're operating in a certain area, maybe even historical ones, political connections like - legacy of lobbying local politicians in said area to get some benefit
- conflict of interest from the owners (private or major shareholders) also somehow owning commercial real estate or businesses that rely on its vitality
- management having reasons to prefer RTO: simple preference for in-person management, fear of loss of control or being perceived as useless, misalignment with a personal-connections-over-merit advancement; these things are mostly misaligned with the owners' interests
I don't want to go back to being limited by my local labour market, and I don't want to go back to commuting daily and all the other stuff
So I'm really determined to stay fully remote, and glad to hear that people have been doing it for much longer than just since COVID
Any tips for maintaining this? I have been thinking that it would be easier to stay remote if I start contracting instead of being an employee
None that will make you happy. The market changed a lot, I myself not sure if I will be able to find contracts (I'm a contractor) for the next 20 years. The alternative isn't terrible tho: you gotta create your own job, contracting and then creating your own business online. The best way to prove remote works is to create jobs and hiring remote. Nobody should think they are entitled for a great remote job forever.
I definitely do not feel entitled to it, but it is such a benefit for my life and mental health that I am willing to work to maintain it
I am willing to accept lower salaries and a lower promotion ceiling to maintain fully remote work, for instance