The problem is they built campuses and feel stupid about devaluing them. Combine that with a backwards mindset and, for most companies, the situation becomes clear.
You mean executives didn't need to build giant monuments to themselves they can sit in and command from upon high down for whatever idea they justified it with to attract talent and they only needed to, I don't know, compensate people adequately with reasonable work life balance to retain people, perhaps with a mixture of interesting work to attract some types of talent?
There is no way any of the FANG companies care about keeping their campuses occupied for the sole purpose of justifying their costs. If remote work resulted in happier employees and by extension more productive employees that trade-off would be a no-brainer. The real reason is they genuinely think in-person benefits outweigh remote benefits for most employees. The internal employee surveys show this to be the case. Most employees want the hybrid model. HN is a bubble.
The problem is they built campuses and feel stupid about devaluing them. Combine that with a backwards mindset and, for most companies, the situation becomes clear.
It’s really that simple.