Looking at the job market recently for software engineers, there isn't alot of high paying remote jobs right now. A lot of companies have "hybrid" requirements.
In my locale it was the same. Ultimately those kind of companies didn't actually have the job and I ended up with a company that is 100% remote.
What I saw were companies that posted job ads (as in actual online ads) to hide the fact they were losing customers and had no jobs, companies that tested what the applicants would tolerate (RTO) and so on. Also a lot of companies posponed everything 6 months so the new budgets get in. They need the people but they can't afford them.
It's their money, they can ask for whatever they want within the legal employment framework. If they want people in the office it's their choice since they're paying for it.
this is how you avoid milions of people that will flock your email.
try to post an job, 100% you it will flooded with south asian, with ZERO skill match, just random apply and hope for best.
He’s right, it is a different world now. However, many of these RTO companies purchased real estate (read: office space) based on the old paradigm. It’s no secret that commercial real estate is in bad shape. RTO helps to prop that up - ‘cause the alternative might be ugly circa 2007 / 2008.
Doesn’t matter. Some company owns it. Some bank finances it. For the same reason the Fed wants low inflation (because deflation undermines the financial system), falling commercial real estate is bad for everyone.
The difference is leverage, I don't think it would be as bad as 2007/2008. One way or another they're going to be written down because many companies are having a hard time getting everyone back in the office.
If you want people back in the office, here is an idea: start giving them actual offices, just like back in the day!