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Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is the latest to support working without borders as the debate over remote work continues to flare throughout the corporate world.
In a recent interview, Chesky reaffirmed his stance that traditional full-time office jobs have become obsolete, arguing that on-site work is “from a pre-digital period” and no longer makes sense for many career paths.
Chesky’s remarks came just days after Airbnb announced its present employees that they might work remotely indefinitely, presumably in an effort to attract and retain talent in a historically tight labor market that has driven many businesses to enhance their incentives.
“I believe the office in its current form is over.” Chesky defined it as an “anachronistic form” in a Time magazine Leadership Brief interview. “If the workplace didn’t exist, would we invent it?” I’m curious. What would we do with it if we invented it?”
“Obviously, people will continue to work in hospitals and coffee shops—those locations make great sense.” However, I believe the issue for someone whose work is done on a laptop is, “What is an office intended to do?” He kept going.
Chesky also mentioned organizations that have implemented hybrid schedules as part of their “return to office” initiatives after being entirely remote for several months during the COVID 19 epidemic.
“Some businesses don’t realize that something isn’t especially sustainable two or three days a week,” says the Airbnb CEO.
He emphasized the need for offices as “collaboration spaces.” But, on the other hand, virtual gatherings have “limitations” in terms of community building, according to him.
“I’m not painting a rosy picture of the future; there’ll be a lot of kinks to work out.” All I’m saying is that you can’t hold on to 1950 any longer than you can to the future. “We have to move on,” he remarked. Chesky had chosen a similar timetable earlier this year, stating that he would work from a different location every two weeks.
Last month, Airbnb announced that its employees would be free to live and work anywhere in the country without facing wage cuts based on their location. Employees can also live overseas for a portion of the year under the company’s arrangement, which includes frequent team gatherings and in-person meetings.
With unemployment hovering around 4% countrywide, businesses compete fiercely to attract top talent through better pay and other benefits.
In March, a staggering 4.54 million American workers resigned from their jobs, a trend dubbed “the Great Resignation.”
While Airbnb only started its entirely remote trial a few days ago, several businesses and corporations are experiencing employee resistance to returning to the office.
For example, Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon stated recently that the bank’s on-site attendance was above 50%. However, some junior bankers have openly complained about management measuring their attendance while pursuing a five-day-per-week return.
