George Jetson worked one hour a day, two days a week. While we might not be there yet—and some of us never want to be—the decentralization of the workforce will reshape professional life in many industries for good. 

Of course, this includes tech, where grand flagship offices forming the hub of employees’ social lives are under serious question by all.

As engineers, designers, and venture capitalists adapt to the permanent shift towards remote life, there’s a chance for magical collaborative serendipity to increase in other places. The COVID-19 pandemic and rising demands for social justice have changed how we think about work and hiring. 

More than 70% of people now feel more supportive of working remotely than they did before the pandemic. We also now demand top-tier opportunities must be made more available to a more diverse and distributed workforce.

With more than 69,000 startup employees laid off since March, remote work opportunities will be key for economic recovery. They’ll also be necessary to meet the workforce where they are, in increasingly suburban areas. Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec says that a shift in perception of city living will alter the dynamics of the real estate market for years to come. The talent market will also not be immune to the impact of this migration, though it might take a few years for workers to decide where to move.

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