WFH extensions and implications for US workers

Baidu
mojogo

Go to company page Baidu

mojogo
Oct 22, 2020 13 Comments

Multiple companies just extended their WFH policy til Q3 next year.

Heard somewhere yesterday that this forced digitization made multiple organizations realize that majority remote workforce is doable. While I know several tech workers happily staying in Airbnb beach houses or working from Hawaii, is this the start of massive outsourcing of tech positions?

You see companies are realizing that if workers can get things done from home, they can also be done from Manila, Bangalore, Chengdu and Warsaw for 1/4 of the cost.

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TOP 13 Comments
  • Google
    compute😎

    Go to company page Google

    compute😎
    Majority of employees don't actually want permanent work from home.
    Sure, they would like more flexibility than we had in the past but 90% of the ppl I know are really eager to go back to the office.

    So this is just temporary.

    And offshore work isn't the same quality. US has better talent. So you can perhaps get work done for 1/4 cost but even if it's 3/4 the quality, for top companies that's unacceptable.
    Oct 22, 2020 5
    • Bay area has influencers like investors of all sizes, and many companies already have huge presence here. Without a disruption like Covid, things would continue as they were. But, companies now need not stick to Bay area. WFH works for many roles. India doesn't have a talent problem. It has a problem with everything else: Casteism, bureaucracy, high levels of corruption, illiteracy etc.
      Oct 22, 2020
    • Baidu
      mojogo

      Go to company page Baidu

      mojogo
      OP
      I don’t know about how many % of top IT talents choose to stay or move back to India but I can tell you from my experience working in a Chinese company coming from FAANG, a substantial number of top Chinese IT talents are choosing to stay or moving back to China. Living expense aside, you make about the same of not more in Shenzhen/Beijing/Hangzhou than in SFO or SEA. I’m talking mostly about 10+ yoe and $400k+ TC.
      Oct 22, 2020
  • This comment was deleted by original commenter.

  • Amazon / Eng
    idk3

    Go to company page Amazon Eng

    idk3
    Having everyone in the team working same hours is more valuable then you think. Few times I had to work with teams in different timezones, it took way longer then I thought.
    Oct 22, 2020 2
    • New
      hon

      New

      hon
      They all will be in same timezone , you will have to adjust accordingly.
      Oct 22, 2020
    • Baidu
      mojogo

      Go to company page Baidu

      mojogo
      OP
      True. However the reality is many of us based in US already have to work with teams in Asia/Europe almost on a daily basis.
      Oct 22, 2020
  • Google
    Tzfw47

    Go to company page Google

    Tzfw47
    Either 2 options:
    1. Outsourcing catches on (much more so than before). This would happen more likely if permanent WFH catches on.
    2. Outsourcing doesn’t catch on (beyond pre pandemic levels). This would be more likely if permanent WFH does not catch on and we all return to office.

    People say “muhhhh we’ve tried outsourcing before and it never worked”. Yeah just like permanent wfh. So either outsourcing WILL work now, or permanent wfh won’t work and everyone’s (most non remote prior to pandemic) gotta go back to the office
    Dec 26, 2020 2
    • Google
      Tzfw47

      Go to company page Google

      Tzfw47
      Also outsourcing in-country to LCOL parts of the US
      Dec 26, 2020
    • Baidu
      mojogo

      Go to company page Baidu

      mojogo
      OP
      The within US migration to low COL zones seems true according to these Austin vs Seattle or Phoenix vs BA threads. The other elephant in the room is the commoditization of coder jobs.
      Dec 27, 2020