If teleworking was imposed very quickly in the United States in the midst of the covid health crisis, many companies have been sounding the reminder in the office quite aggressively for several months, such as Apple, Tesla or Google.
In question, the delicate question of productivity considered by managers to be less good when employees work from home. A vision swept away by the boss of Microsoft who puts his trust on the side of employees rather than management.
Asked by the BBC, Satya Nadella, CEO of the American giant, is very clear: “We must overcome what we call productivity paranoia, because all the data we have shows that more than 80% of individuals consider themselves very productive Except their management thinks they’re not. That means there’s a real mismatch between expectations and how they feel.”
9 out of 10 employees feel more productive at home
And in fact, according to an internal study, 87% of Microsoft employees feel more productive when working from home, while 80% of Microsoft managers think remote workers are less so.
Various studies confirm Satya Nadella’s sentiment, especially in France. Unlike many other previous crises that led to a slowdown in trend productivity, the acceleration in the use of teleworking linked to the health crisis could ultimately lead to a lasting gain in productivity. (CNP).
“Increasing the proportion of telecommuters from around 5% in the pre-Covid period (4% of regular telecommuters in 2019, editor’s note) to 25% in the longer term” would generate an average productivity gain of 5 to 9%” continues the organization.
A study by the Sapiens Institute, for its part, evaluates the productivity gains of teleworking at 22%, but warns that a long-term generalization could have perverse and counterproductive effects.
“What is a desk for?”
But while American employees are now in a position of strength, especially in technology, refractory companies like Apple have to put water in their wine. Rejecting telecommuting means exposing yourself to significant talent leaks and resignations, which in a context of talent shortage are catastrophic for companies.
Point that Microsoft understood very well. Its policy allows employees to spend 50% of their time telecommuting, and even ask for more with the approval of management. Unlike its great rival Apple, which has to suffer a revolt from its employees.
In an internal survey, 76% of the firm’s employees on the block say they are dissatisfied with the plan to return to the office, and 56% plan to leave the company due to these new rules.
And then there are the companies that have given up on bringing anyone back, believing that working in an office is silly. This is the case of Brian Chesky, head of Airbnb. “I think the office as we know it is over, he says. It’s kind of an anachronistic way. It comes from a pre-digital age. Obviously people will still go to hospitals to work, to cafes to work. But I think for someone whose work is done on a laptop, the question is: what is a desktop for?
Source: BFM TV
