The Virtual Brain Drain in Turkey: A Qualitative Research on Remote Employees’ Experiences in Foreign Firms

The virtual brain drain is an outcome of the strategies global companies have pursued around the world to gain a competitive advantage and reach more qualified employees, mostly with regard to better economical conditions. Virtual brain drain is a situation that occurs with no geographical displacement when considered in terms of cause-and-effect factors and is becoming more common in the world. Although the prevalence of a virtual brain drain has been associated with COVID-19 in consideration of its impact factors, this brain drain is also said to have started before COVID-19. In addition to the pandemic, however, employees’ search for flexibility and the desire to meet their different expectations, especially with regard to economic status, have gradually enlarged and strengthened this phenomenon. This study aims to provide a framework for understanding virtual brain drain relevant researchers and policymakers by focusing on the experiences of employees working remotely for foreign companies. The research uses the qualitative methodology and collects data from 11 participants in six different Turkish cities through the e-interview technique. The study analyzes the obtained data using the descriptive analysis technique. According to the results obtained from the study, employees’ job searches were observed to have been shaped around economic factors, flexibility, and issues arising from companies, with the factors affecting the work-life balance being expressed more frequently and having a guiding effect with regard to the virtual brain drain.