Young Professionals Should Be In Office for Career Growth: Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also criticised the push for “full remote forever,” calling it one of the tech industry's “worst mistakes,” echoing sentiments about the limitations of fully remote work

Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011, has reignited the debate surrounding remote work versus office-based roles. In a recent appearance on ‘The Diary of a CEO’ podcast, Schmidt highlighted the value of physical presence in the workplace, particularly for young professionals looking to advance their careers.

“When I was a young executive, I knew nothing of what I was doing,” Schmidt recalled. “I literally was just lucky to be there, and I learned by hanging out at the water cooler, going to meetings, hanging out, being in the hallway.” He emphasised that the informal learning and networking opportunities that come with being physically present in the office were crucial to his career growth.

Schmidt noted, “If you're in your 20s, you want to be in an office because that's how you're going to get promoted.” 

Schmidt’s remarks are supported by data highlighting the connection between office presence and career advancement. A study by Live Data Technologies, referenced by The Wall Street Journal in January, found that fully remote workers were 31 per cent less likely to receive promotions compared to their hybrid or in-office colleagues.

While Schmidt recognised the productivity benefits observed in some remote work setups, he expressed a clear preference for in-office operations. "At least for the industries that have been studied, there’s evidence that allowing that flexibility from work from home increases productivity," he said. "I don’t happen to like it, but I want to acknowledge the science is there.”

Studies on the impact of remote work have yielded mixed results. Research from Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research in 2023 found that fully remote work led to a 10 per decline in productivity compared to in-office arrangements, while hybrid work showed no measurable impact on productivity.

In response to changing dynamics, several major companies have revisited their remote work policies. Corporations like Amazon, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs have implemented stricter return-to-office mandates, with some tying compliance to performance reviews or employment status.

Meta, which now requires employees to work from the office at least three days per week, justified the policy using internal data. CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated in 2023 that employees working from home were less efficient, emphasizing that engineers who came to the office were more productive.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also criticised the push for “full remote forever,” calling it one of the tech industry's “worst mistakes,” echoing sentiments about the limitations of fully remote work.

Eric Schmidt has previously shared candid views on workplace dynamics, including a controversial statement in April at Stanford University. He linked remote work policies to what he saw as Google's diminishing competitiveness against AI startups like OpenAI and Anthropic. Schmidt argued that Google had prioritised work-life balance over innovation, stating, “The reason the startups work is because the people work like hell.”

Although Schmidt later retracted these remarks, with his spokesperson clarifying that he misspoke, his comments further fueled the ongoing debate about the role of office work in fostering innovation and maintaining competitiveness in the tech industry.

In line with industry trends, Google has gradually moved toward a hybrid work model. Employees were asked to return to the office three days a week in 2022, with attendance linked to performance evaluations in 2023. However, Google has stated it will not follow Amazon’s lead in requiring five-day office attendance.