Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has once again raised concerns over the growing trend of flexible work, warning that it could be weakening the tech industry's edge, according to Business Insider. Speaking at the "All-In" podcast, Schmidt stated that working from home impedes learning, while an overemphasis on "work-life balance" risks damaging competitiveness.
"Winning in tech requires making tradeoffs," Schmidt said, pointing out that key elements such as collaboration, mentorship, and innovation suffer in remote environments.
As reported by Business Insider, the remarks echo Schmidt's previous criticism of Google's flexible work policies. Last year, he suggested that the company was falling behind smaller, faster-moving AI startups partly due to its remote work culture. Although he later softened his stance, his latest comments reflect a continued belief that in-person work is essential for high-performance teams.
"I am not in favour of, essentially, working at home," Schmidt told the All-In Summit earlier this month. His comments were included in a Wednesday episode of the "All-In" podcast.
"Think about a 20-something who has to learn how the world works," Schmidt said, adding that he learnt a great deal from listening to older coworkers argue at Sun Microsystems in the early years of his career.
He asked, "How do you recreate that in this new thing?"
Schmidt said he's "in favour of work-life balance, and that's why people work for the government," before saying "sorry" four times.
"If you're going to be in tech, and you're going to win, you're going to have to make some tradeoffs," he added.
The former Google CEO highlighted the US tech industry's competitive challenge from China, where a demanding "996" work culture - 9 am to 9 pm, six days a week - is prevalent, despite being technically illegal. Eric Schmidt noted that while China has laws against such excessive work hours, many companies and employees still adhere to this gruelling schedule, creating a significant competitive pressure for US businesses.¹
Schmidt's views come at a time when the tech industry is still navigating the long-term implications of hybrid and remote work models adopted during the pandemic.
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