Job platforms like Indeed have definitely shifted the hiring world in ways we’re all still figuring out. On one hand, they’ve opened doors for people who might not have had easy access to opportunities before. Employers can get their job listing in front of a ton of people, which can be a blessing when you’re trying to find that right fit.

But at the same time, it’s not always a smooth ride for employers. The sheer volume of candidates can mean wading through a lot of resumes that don’t quite fit the bill, and there’s a cost to that, both in time and money.

Another thing that’s really changed is how companies no longer have to be tied to the communities they once built. There was a time when a company would set up shop in a town, and that town was shaped by the jobs and the industry that company brought in. The company needed that local workforce, and in turn, they became a cornerstone of that place. You could see it with big plants in small towns, and that created a kind of loyalty and mutual dependency.

But the internet flipped that. Now companies can hire from anywhere, and just as easily employees can find jobs anywhere. Instead of needing to invest in the people around them, companies can just put out a listing online and hire from across the country, sometimes even the world. In a way, that’s efficient, but it also means that sense of local community can get lost.

Then came COVID, and that was another turning point. At first, remote work seemed like a win-win. Companies could keep things running, and workers could do their jobs from home. It felt like a big shift that gave people more flexibility, more time with their families, and even more job opportunities since they weren’t tied to an office.

But what a lot of people didn’t see coming was that if a job can be remote, it can be remote anywhere. Companies started realizing they could hire people from countries where wages are lower, and that cost-saving mindset meant a lot of American remote workers suddenly found their jobs weren’t as stable as they thought.

So what felt like a new era for the American worker quickly turned into a reality check. Remote work didn’t just mean you could live anywhere in the States and still do your job, it meant companies could go anywhere in the world for labor. That realization really changed the game, and it’s something we’re still grappling with as we figure out what remote work really means in the long run.

For me, I love the idea of remote work. It gives people freedom, flexibility, and the ability to craft a work-life balance that fits them. But at the end of the day, remote work can only go so far in a society where we all have to make a living. The reality is that companies will always be looking at the bottom line, and that can make the idea of remote work more complicated than we’d hope. It’s a great concept, but it’s tied up with the bigger question of how we value labor and where that labor comes from.