As tech companies gained significant resistance about its in-office mandates, Zoom, a company known for its video conferencing platform that enables virtual meetings, webinars, and online collaboration, which gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, has a positive yet controversial outlook to share after a year of implementing the two-day-per-week mandate.
Zoom's In-Office Mandate Was A Success
The feedback that praises the in-office mandate came from Zoom's chief people officer, Matthew Saxon, who primarily works from the comfort of his home in Austin, Texas.
Saxon, who works remotely, with only a few exceptions, believes he can effectively manage teams at Zoom while occasionally going into the office to fulfill his role, according to an interview with Fortune.
According to him, the return to in-person office work was a 'success,' leading to greater creativity and efficiency among some employees.
Zoom Employees Need to Be Back In The Office
Zoom adopted its hybrid work approach in August instead of abandoning its office, mandating employees who live within 50 miles of a Zoom office to work in person two days a week, affecting 34% of Zoom's 7,400 global workforce.
The spokesperson did not specify which two days these would be or if everyone would need to be in on the same days. It also remains unclear whether employees' contracts include provisions for being mandated to return to the office at any time.
A structured hybrid approach is the most effective model for the organization, a Zoom spokesperson previously said.
Alana Collins, head of real estate and workplace at Zoom, explained in an exclusive interview that the company has learned from its customer advocacy groups that the future is hybrid, where they need to adapt and learn from. Collins believes they needed to be in the office to test actual products, utilize Zoom workspaces, and foster in-person collaboration, as innovation thrives when teams work together.
The Friction Between In-Office and Working Remote
The push for return-to-office policies, driven by the need to enhance collaboration, uphold company culture, and boost productivity, has sparked controversy. This often creates tension between employers and employees, as many have grown accustomed to the advantages of remote work. A recent survey from ResumeBuilder shared by Forbes revealed that 80% of employers have lost talent due to return-to-office mandates.
CBS News reported that despite the ongoing fiasco, a quarter of US companies still plan to require their employees to be in the office more frequently next year, despite the risk of losing top talents.
Recent findings from ResumeBuilder.com, based on a survey of 756 employers with return-to-office policies since 2021, reveal that return-to-office mandates have been a contentious issue in corporate America post-pandemic. Of those companies planning to increase in-office days, 86% cited productivity as the primary reason, followed by a desire to enhance company culture (71%), support employee well-being (57%), and improve retention (55%).
