Remote work, for all of its momentum, has gained its share of critics over the years. Corporate and government leaders regularly reissue return-to-office mandates, citing performance concerns. Professor and bestselling author Scott Galloway has described remote work as one of the worst things to happen to young people. The New York Times recently reported on a study finding that “younger workers suffered career-wise by working from home, receiving less training and fewer opportunities for advancement.”
As the leader of Tulsa Remote, the largest remote worker attraction program in the country, you might be surprised to know that I agree with most of these critiques — just not their solutions. While COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of remote work, too few resources and organizational investments have been made to support employees and managers in this new professional environment.
How Tulsa succeeded with remote work
As a legacy oil and gas town that suffered from population decline — and a “brain drain” of college graduates like many of its regional counterparts — Tulsa launched an experimental program in 2018 to attract remote workers and diversify its economy. While the program depended on workers’ ability to perform their job from anywhere, its success would hinge on redefining what it meant to “work remotely.” If newcomers to town worked in isolation in their new apartments, spending most of their days on video calls with no connection to the community around them, we knew they wouldn’t be likely to stay. To combat this, our program overcorrected for the deficiencies of remote work, investing in in-person experiences and human connection.
