Facebook is the largest and latest tech giant yet to “lean in” to remote work long term, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a Facebook Live video on Thursday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company will start by making most new North American hires eligible for remote work, then allow more experienced employees to apply for that option, with their manager’s backing.
"I think that it’s quite possible that, over the next five to 10 years, about 50% of our people could be working remotely," Zuckerberg said. "We're going to do this in a way that is measured and thoughtful and responsible and in phases over time."
During the video, Zuckerberg detailed various ways in which this shift could have collateral benefits to the company's workforce, including an increase in geographic diversity.
"When you limit hiring to people who either live in a small number of big cities, or are willing to move there, that cuts out a lot of people," he said.