Why Epic Games cant fill its 25 open QA positions

Since I'm currently deep in the job hunting jungle and seeing LinkedIn post on the back of my eyelids while I sleep, I wanted to talk about an interesting thing I came across on my search.

Epic Games is a powerhouse in the gaming industry and many people would love to work at their studio as designers, develops, or in QA. However, looking at their open QA positions, there is not 1, not 5, not 10, but 25 open positions! From SDET to Tester I, they cannot get these roles filled, and there is one glaring reason why. The are on-site only in Cary, North Carolina.

Now, I don't know what kind of town Cary is, but I do no that if these positions were open to remote or even hybrid they would be snapped up yesterday with 1000+ applications. As a largely remote-only QA professional, myself it saddens me to see the job market in such a state. There's no doubt that there are some benefits to meeting your coworkers face to face, however, I think the benefits of remote work tip the scales a bit. Just off the top of my head the benefits for employers are:

1. Access to global talent

2. Reduction in rent and office space costs

3. Improved job satisfaction and productivity for many employees

And for employees the benefits are obvious:

1. Increased comfort, flexibility, and the ability to manage their home responsibilities (Children, pets)

2. Reduction in commuting costs

3. Accessibility to work for people with disabilities

4. Improved work-life balance

Now, I've seen in the news some big tech giants are pushing hard for a return to office. In fact, Samsung has just made headlines for mandatory overtime and a 6-day work week for higher ups! This is to apparently 'inject a sense of crisis' due to low financial performance. But if you read between the lines, this is not to directly improve productivity, it's to alter the work culture to feel more obligatory. But given how this is in South Korea, that is no surprise, they have a very intense relationship with work.

Back in Canada, it's obvious from the surplus of QA positions at Epic that there are not enough people interested in QA living in Cary and not enough incentive from the company to relocate. Given the success of the work from home model in gamin in recent years, I don't think that sentiment is going to change. Especially because of the housing situation in Canada right now. In an article from Business Insider

"... 47% of respondents said they would be willing to return to the office in exchange for housing benefits. Additionally, 69% said they would be willing to change their job or career for employer-based housing benefits."

I can attest that I would do the same. 🏡 I am both an American and Canadian citizen so it would be even easier for me to relocate. The problem in the cost of housing and inflation are going up, up, up with no relief in sight.

The post COVID-19 job market is a perilous one, for sure. My heart goes out to anyone else out there who is salivating looking at the job openings at Epic like I am. 😂