Much has been said about the shift to remote work. The permanence of the shift remains to be seen, let’s assume however that this forced experiment has been successful enough to warrant an increase in remote work percentages. What are the implications of this shift? This recent Article authored by Patrick Gray explores two possible implications.

After Twitter announced remote work on an indefinite basis, dozens of others have followed suit. Mr. Gray mentions a number of factors to consider. Since workers have remained largely productive, he points out that the costs of retrofitting offices to focus on sanitation and social distancing rather than collaboration is appearing increasingly prohibitive. This expense combined with human behavior could tip the scales toward remote work.  As Mr. Gray describes, why would anyone want to endure an environment that dictates where you can and cannot stand, and is accessed through a series of temperature checks and questionnaires?

This introduces several implications should the scenario above play out:

The end of urban centers: in a scenario that works against the massive future urbanization anticipated, top technology talent may move away from expensive locations. Highly skilled technical talent may grow in attractive low cost areas. Relocating hundreds of miles away to an expensive city may no longer be a prerequisite to working with the world’s leading technology companies. Like everything else, a nationwide talent pool has a ripple effect. From a loss of talent in some places, to gains in others, to depressing wages through access to more talent.

Competition for talent intensifies: as a result of this location independence, we could see a new dynamic in talent wars. Attracting top talent from big technology companies may be viable, if that talent works remotely and moves to your town. But it is a double-edged sword: how will you retain your best talent that also transitioned to remote work?

The future of work was a popular topic pre-pandemic, and it just got more complex and uncertain. Explore more about COVID-19 via these earlier posts.

FEATURED: A Post Pandemic Society

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