

Ask HN: Why do so many companies hire only local? - bendauphinee

I've noticed that most tech companies, when they do post for new hires, are looking for someone in X area.<p>I've been a contractor for several companies, and I can say that my performance has always been praised. In all cases, I have not worked on site, or even locally for some. This does not impact my ability to perform, and in fact may sometimes enhance it, since I don't have people wandering by to disturb me.<p>For those of you who deal with hiring, what influences you to only look locally, and not for remote workers?
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gamechangr
I've managed workers in different countries. I can confirm that it takes much,
much more communication to keep remote workers "in the loop" and energized. It
wouldn't appear that way at first glance (the distraction and needless
meetings skipped).

Tech companies are run by people. They want to be understood and have an
ongoing dialogue, as things develop very rapidly. Many decisions are reached
at lunch/bathroom breaks/bar which is naturally inclusive of local talent
(meaning you don't have to really explain much, as others will carry the
message for you vs remote)

One missed point, cities have personalities or rather a group of people
predisposed to certain ideas. You have just a little more certainty
understanding who you are hiring when you have a vague sense of which
(cities/communities) they are chosen. It's small, but makes a huge difference
when trying to create momentum in a company.

Tasks will be outsourced...team members won't. As the tech scene continues and
the high transitional cost of tech talent continues...i think more employers
will want a little more 'buy in".....we know can do the job as well....that's
not really the question.

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rdouble
In addition to the general workday communication issues, there are individual
income tax issues, as well as benefits issues. The company now has to do
payroll tax in another state, and find a health care plan in the employee's
state. This is often not worth the expense for a small company.

Furthermore, location of an employee in another state may establish a tax
nexus in that state (depends on the state), causing the company to have to pay
income taxes in that state. This is generally not worth it for a company of
any size.

If you're a telecommuter, you are generally best off by trying to work for an
enlightened huge company that already has offices everywhere, or doing corp-
to-corp consulting.

~~~
bendauphinee
As an employee yes, but as a contractor no. I'm Canadian, and working for an
American corp. It was actually easier for them to get me working, rather than
an employee.

~~~
rdouble
I think it's actually easier to hire someone overseas because there are no
interstate tax or benefits issues.

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KoryFerbet
There are a few reasons as to why most companies are only looking to hire
local candidates. The first one is that companies are familiar with the area
they're in, they know which colleges have better cs programs, they know which
smaller companies had an impact in the area, and which ones they should avoid
on resumes.

Another is simply that when you extend an offer to a candidate the company has
already invested massive amounts of time and money in the interview process.
Candidates are more likely to balk at accepting an offer out of state once
they really start thinking about leaving whatever area they've called home for
the last 3+ years.

Also in regards to telecommuting, you may be able to do that well but I can
assure you that there are more remote workers who do it poorly.

All of that being said, some folks are able to make a good living moving
around and doing contracts and remote work. You should be aware though, that
if you hope to one day land a permanent position at a reputable company after
years and years of contracting you're going to have a much harder time than
someone who has worked multiple permanent roles.

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revorad
I find it really dumb, considering these are tech companies. Yes the bandwidth
is higher in person but it's a professional arrangement, not a marriage. It's
just 19th century thinking honestly.

I think sooner than later companies who learn to accept distributed teams will
have an edge over those which don't.

You just need to trust your employees more and have an internet connection.

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coryl
I've never hired an employee, but I'd imagine that they're looking for someone
to be a member of the team so to speak.

Contract work is when you need a certain task or objective done. But being a
team member may involve driving new ideas, working with others, etc. That sort
of stuff requires a lot of communication that can't be done by Skype or email.

~~~
bendauphinee
Being on contract doesn't prevent any of that. I've pushed a few new ideas,
and built out an entire new system. In fact, my current contract has
considered having me on board such a success that they've hired two new
contractors (I was their first experience with this).

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tlack
I feel like a lot of the time a remote worker may come on strong at the
beginning of an assignment and slowly drift away, as the lack of constant
direction and team involvement causes them to become bored and distracted.
This is something I'm actively trying to fix because finding good local
workers can be very hard if you aren't in SF or NYC.

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ruxb
I think it's a matter of personality and also the ability of the company to
identify which team members can work remotely. While it feels "safe" to keep
somebody under constant supervision, it doesn't necessarily make them more
productive. Less experienced people tend to need more hand-holding, which can
be a factor in adopting a remote employee model.

