The pandemic has made many companies begin to question the design and even their need of physical workspaces in the post-pandemic future, as many continue to function smoothly even with staff working remotely.
Now, social media giant Facebook announced that it would be creating new company hubs in Atlanta, Denver and Dallas as part of a move to decentralize is workforce, Tech Crunch reports.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg added that he expects about half of Facebook employees to work remotely full time over the next decade.
“When you limit hiring to people who live in a small number of big cities, or are willing to move there, that cuts out a lot of people who live in different communities, have different backgrounds, have different perspectives,” Zuckerberg said in a live-streamed town hall.
There’s no word yet on how many jobs or what types of roles it would fill here, but Facebook will likely be looking to bring on local talent. The company said it is planning to hire in areas where it currently has existing offices like Atlanta and Austin.
The news comes on the heels of the social network signing a lease in March for a new office building on the top floor of T3 West Midtown, an $80 million mid-rise project at Atlanta Station. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Facebook will occupy 35,900 square feet in the building. The company originally opened an office in West Midtown more than eight years ago.
As Facebook begins reopening, Zuckerberg said that not all staff will be able to work remotely. Positions like hardware development, recruiting and data center operation will still work in-person due to the need for them to be on-site.
Across the country, other companies are looking at decentralized and remote work options. Recently, Twitter announced permanent work from home options.
