Despite the latest back-to-office push from several companies, Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb’s Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, continues betting on remote work. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, he mentioned that he believes employees shouldn´t choose between having a “high-paying job and a great quality of life. They can have both.”
Tech companies are divided between leaders aiming to have all employees back in the office and others who continue supporting work flexibility.
Airbnb Co-Founder Thoughts on Remote Work
Since the pandemic started, Airbnb shifted its operations to a remote work setup. Now that the situation has changed and improved, the accommodation company continues to support flexible work arrangements.
This year, the company created the “work from anywhere” policy for its 6,000 employees. This eliminated paying tiers based on a location’s cost of living, allowing employees to work for even 90 days a year in any region where the company operates.
During an interview with Bloomberg, Nathan Blecharczyk mentioned how Airbnb’s remote-work policy impacted employee satisfaction. (Bloomberg)
“When we asked employees in September 2020 if they wanted to come into the office less than once a week — so basically to not be in the office — it was 37%. In November 2021, it was 59%. That’s eye-opening.”
When cutting people’s salaries based on their location, Blecharczyk didn’t make sense as it didn’t create flexibility. Additionally, while flexibility has worked for them, there are some long-term implications to consider.
“There is this kind of trade-off between efficiency of life versus the fun of colleagues. I think a lot of people, especially those with kids, are saying, “I’ll take the efficiency, please. That’s what I need right now.” If you’re just out of college, you might say, “I want to socialize; that’s important to me.”
