In my experience, the problem is that junior, extremely motivated people, who are often the ones doing the impactful work, cannot thrive and learn from experienced people in WFH environments.
I would actually agree with that, notwithstanding what I have written. I still think the learning curve can be steeper in that case and actually more fun.
I rather meant to teach them stuff... It's not for everybody, but a substantial part of engineers, I would think, really enjoy teaching and passing on their experience and know-how. That's not only limited to engineers, of course.
Well, not everybody, but it's quite powerful to be around people who actually care in person about how you are doing. It's a beautiful dynamic. It depends on the actual company and situation, but yes, there are people who find it quite depressing to get a MacBook sent to their home address and never experience a great office. I'm not saying it's the only way. I can understand WFH is extremely practical for most people with kids. At the same time, it deprives people starting their careers of fast learning experiences. There are plenty of examples of extremely successful remote-only companies that attract young talent, but there are also examples of the opposite.
do those junior extremely motivated people who are doing the impactful work want to work in the office?
Much more so than the senior people I find. Post Covid, as soon as we were first allowed back to the office if we wanted, I observed that the under 30s were the first to return.
I think it is common, especially early in a career, that it is more important to approach people proactively. There is a barrier to asking for help. It can be quite challenging if you are new and maybe a bit shy (not uncommon, as we know, in the STEM field) to get the most out of it. Just sharing my experience, not saying it's impossible.
