Happier employees that are just as productive are beneficial for everyone, including the employer.
I agree. Not sure remote is just as productive though, especially over the long term.
If after two years of seeing it in practice you are not convinced, I can't really think of anything that would convince you :)
I think working in a remote team that I thought were as effective as an in-person team would convince me.
It's an issue for onboarding and new hires, especially where junior mentorship is required.
It doesn't need to benefit the employer for it to be overwhelmingly beneficial for everyone else.
Lower wages? Instead of being limited by the cost of living of where your office is based, the required wages are now an average of the entire country/timezone you're looking to hire in.
Access to a larger talent pool, especially for uncommon skills. Another interesting benefit might be some degree of resilience against local issues such as natural disasters.
I think this is the most convincing benefit, the uncommon skills.