Not directly addressing your point, but how common is it for someone to be a FAANG developer - extremely well compensated and smart by all accounts - and not have other options? An argument like this makes sense for the random dev shops and non-tech company dev departments across the country. For many of those, the top 1 or 2 people are arguably good enough to switch over to FAANG or HFT or some other very highly compensated thing if they really want to.
I would expect everyone at a FAANG to basically walk into a comparable or better role at a more "traditional" employer.
What many miss is also these large companies are doing something very interesting in the labor market. They are starving the competition. They spend a bit extra on labor but they get a long term benefit of lower number of effective competitors. MS did this for years in the 90s. Apple/Atari/Sony/IBM did it in the 80s. Being in office ('free lunch', perks, etc) is part of that lock in. If people are at home then they are more likely to wander off and find another job as at that point the only real difference between jobs is the kind of thing you work on and money.
I agree with the first part, not so sure about the conclusion though. What makes you think that WFH increases attrition? The FAANGs could easily spend some additional dollars to make "their" WFH more attractive than the competitions, similar to what they did with offices.
Depends a lot. WFH when most companies won't allow it is a perk that will keep people around. However once WFH is a common thing it is much easier to switch. If you WFH you can work anywhere in the country (in theory world, but there are tricky issues there that I don't know much about) which means you can switch from a job in the Bay to NYC with no problem, then jump to the one job in some tiny village in Montana - all without leaving your family.
Family is the key above. I moved to a different state from my family and I often feel the loss. It is now a big deal to go visit. I can't "call in a few favors" when I need my house painted (I'm also not called upon to help). Once you don't live near friends/family moving is just about the relocation package. Once you have friends and family around it is personally hard to move as you throw all of that away. By WFH you can ignore all that and live where it works best for your life.
Now yes FAANG can give me a bit extra money if they want. However I've reached the point where money isn't my only motivation. I want interesting/fulfilling work, which if I decide they don't offer they can't really change the offer to give me.
I guess I was unclear in my comment. I meant that FAANG can spend money on WFH related perks (premium equipment, food delivery, whatever) that second tier companies are maybe not willing to pay, thus retaining the same advantage they had in the office work era that was mentioned by the grandparent in their post.
Mostly the lock in is money. They just pay higher rates, with stock incentives to keep you around longer. After awhile you realize the 'free lunch' and other things are nice but not really needed, especially if you are working from home. Where you realize those perks can be bought cheap enough.
Also at some point you may get to the point where 'I am pretty good on money and just want more challenging work'. That only goes so far too.
But yes companies could up their WFH perks. However, if I am reading the tea leaves right it looks like WFH may become be a perk that is part of a package. Not the perk. Something along the lines of 'every other friday' or 'be in office at least 2 days a week' something like that. I could see that only lasting so long too unless the upper management pushes it. Get a few over zealous ladder climbers and suddenly 'we need to skip WFH this friday we need to ship this ASAP' few months of that and it just doesnt happen anymore.
But remember companies could also go the other way, and go bring your own device style of work. Meaning you pick up all the costs. I could also see 'oh you live in city XYZ well the pay rate there is 50% less than all the other sites'.
Having worked at a few places in my career. Each one has for a lack of a better word 'style'. But at home that 'style' would not be as noticeable. Part of working at a place is that. You walk into a google building you know it is that. You walk into a bank and you know it is that. Just something about how everything is setup and run has a particular feel. I have bounced out of interviews just by walking the office (you could just see the dread and deathmarches they were on). I could see 'oh you say you buy top of the line computers but in reality all of your kit is 10 years old'. But at home, I am not going to get that. One company would be fairly similar in feel to another. Just me speaking personally if companies all look the same basically what ties me to one or another other than maybe some 'perks'?
But they can't create a culture of WFH like that. For WFH to really work it needs to be first class in the company, otherwise those who work from home are cut out from the day to day office politics. In that environment WFH people are less valuable.
Even as someone with over a decade of work experience it's somewhat aspirational to work for a FAANG and get that big paycheck and all those RSUs. But no WFH is a deal-breaker unless they start opening up offices in Milwaukee soon.
I actually did look them all up after posting this comment, and you're right. And Microsoft says they have offices in Waukesha and Wauwatosa but it looks like they both point to a sales-only office in downtown Milwaukee.
I doubt a lot of people would commute between Milwaukee and Madison when the Amtrak Hiawatha is 1.5 hours from Milwaukee to Chicago, within walking distance to Google Chicago.
Sure, there are always other options. But there's also inertia - switching jobs is stressful and risky. Forcing people back to the office provides a push that might get people to think, "Y'know what, maybe <competitor> will hire me at L+1, and let me work remotely." The employees who can actually get the L+1 offer are the stronger ones.
You may walk in because of your CV, but the new employer may find out that an elite university and FMAGA resume does not guarantee programming and software design skills.
Some of the stacks at these companies are quite horrible.
I would expect everyone at a FAANG to basically walk into a comparable or better role at a more "traditional" employer.