Rajeev Rajan, Vice President of Engineering and Regional Manager of Facebook’s Pacific Northwest region, has been employed with the company for four years. Prior to joining Facebook, however, he had a long tenure at Microsoft, where he worked for 23 years. During a recent interview, Rajan discussed the differences between working at Microsoft and Facebook, the exponential growth of Facebook in the Seattle area, the future of the company, and his views on the potential of remote working.
Facebook vs. Microsoft
Rajan had a very successful career at Microsoft. He began as an intern working on Windows 95 and quickly became enamoured with the firm.
Upon visiting Facebook’s Seattle headquarters, Rajan remarked that it evoked memories of Microsoft in the 1990s, prompting him to make a comparison between the two tech giants.
Rajan was deeply impressed with the energy of Facebook when he joined the company, noting that he had a strong conviction that its future will have a tremendous impact on society from the moment he was exposed to its culture.
Facebook’s Future in Seattle
In 2010, Facebook took its first step outside of Menlo Park and opened an office in Seattle. Today, the company has a total of seven thousand employees in the Pacific Northwest, and has established offices in numerous locations in the region.
Facebook’s future appears to be rooted in the city of Seattle. Despite the company’s growth throughout the Pacific Northwest, Rajan has confirmed that there are currently no plans to relocate away from Seattle.
Facebook’s Future: AR, VR, and Audio
As the use of augmented and virtual reality technologies continues to grow, it is likely that these aspects will become increasingly significant in the future. Augmented reality (AR) smart glasses, which provide a digital overlay to the user’s existing vision, and virtual reality (VR) headsets, which allow users to immerse themselves in a virtual space, are expected to play a prominent role in the coming years.
Keeping in mind the IT industry trend, Rajan predicts that AR and VR will play a significant role in Facebook’s future.
At the beginning of this month, Facebook released a comprehensive report on the status of augmented reality and virtual reality, as well as their potential impact on consumers in terms of interest, practicality, potential applications, and beyond. The study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of these two rapidly evolving technologies, and offers insight into what the future may hold.
Another notable news is the transition to audio call.
It is no secret that Zoom fatigue is a real thing. To provide relief from the strain of having video conversations, Facebook has embraced the idea of audio meetings, allowing employees to freely wander and converse in their gardens while taking in the pleasant atmosphere of the outdoors.
Facebook’s Future: Remote Work
In a June update on Facebook’s remote policy, Zuckerberg said that he believes the move to remote employment will be long-term.
As a result, Facebook will arrange its work organisation in such a way that people may work from wherever they reside.
Despite the fact that Facebook’s approach to work will still include some employees in the office, only a limited number of staff will be back in the July. This is mainly because they are individuals who have had difficulty adapting to the work-from-home model and are enthusiastic to return to the workplace.
According to Rajan, Facebook will have a team of entirely remote workers who will be able to work from anywhere in the United States.
Facebook’s Future: Engineering Centres
The demand for qualified engineers is continually growing, resulting in businesses requiring highly capable and experienced candidates to fill these roles. This increased demand is prompting engineering centres to proliferate throughout the world.
Despite the challenges posed by the current global climate, Rajan is confident that engineers working remotely will fulfill a significant portion of the demand. Prior to the pandemic, many tech companies preferred to hire employees who resided in the vicinity of Seattle or the San Francisco Bay Area. However, this no longer has to be the case, as remote working has become a viable option.
Summary
In today’s remote-centric environment, all businesses are striving to find the most talented remote engineers. However, due to the sheer number of skilled developers available, it can be a challenge to differentiate oneself from the competition.
