Ultimately the ideal is not a one size fits all solution but different companies developing different cultures remote/hybrid/in person strategies and employees having options. Seems like the big tech companies are all just kind of copying each other and no one is trying to really differentiate themselves here.
There is always someone huh. Such an arrangement literally sounds like the dream remote arrangement to me. It never even crossed my mind that there would be people who would say no to a fully paid pseudo-vacation every couple of months.
I am completely unable to empathize.
At my company offsites aren't mandatory: those who want to go, can go; but those who for some reason don't want to or can't are not looked down upon as "non-team players" or "antisocial". People are all different, and it's about time you recognized that.
If one can't empathize, I'd hope one would at least be able to sympathize with another's objectively different situation.
If you're travelling away who will look after you kids? Pets? Parents? Believe it or not most people have responsibilities.
Which they can afford because they are not spending on office space.
It's been all virtual for the past two years, and I genuinely wonder how much they've saved that way. It's also much more bearable for this introvert ... I despise that stupid event and resent having to attend. :P
it was a blast -- you got a week of "free" travel w/ your SO (because it was just once a year, they paid for your SO to come with you).
i loved it, because it was a time to get together, have some drinks, chitchat and do some super productive work.
That’s more rhetorical than anything and is a roundabout way of saying: most organized team building events are just…boring.
It’s also just a preference though: getting together and just hanging out without the pressure to talk shop or participate in some kind of coordinated, planned and overly-orchestrated activity is just as engaging for me as “escape rooms” or “games” or other “activities”.
Maybe I'm just too bitter. Maybe if I stayed for the afterparty I'd get the kind of interaction I want. But late night carousing isn't my kind of thing generally.
The employees love it because of all the free trips around the world (and often tie their vacation to the beginning or end of a meeting so they can explore that place on their own) and it's great for the company because they can hire talent all over the world.
It also makes their in person time far more productive because everyone puts effort into planning that time for effectiveness and everyone knows that they only have limited time together and have to make the most of it.