Tech companies are inching closer to reopening their offices, but it’s clear the way they work will never be the same.
It was two years ago this past week that Alphabet Inc., Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. campuses on the West Coast began emptying out as the coronavirus started spreading across the U.S., a move that was quickly mirrored by the vast majority of offices nationwide. Today, many skilled knowledge workers have no interest in going back to the way things used to be. In their constant quest for new talent, tech firms—and old-guard companies that need to find more tech-savvy talent—will do what it takes to hire and retain people who feel empowered to demand the schedule and location of their choice.