Many companies, such as Amazon and Dell, are putting strict return-to-office policies in place, while others, like Microsoft and Spotify, are taking a different approach by not requiring their employees to return to an on-site work model.
In a recent interview with the online publication Raconteur, Spotify CHRO Katarina Berg said that forcing employees to return to the office would be like treating them “like children” and emphasized the company’s dedication to remote work.
“Back to what they know.” Berg expressed understanding for the reasons behind many companies’ return-to-office policies but explained that Spotify doesn’t need to reverse its remote work model, which it introduced in 2021. “You can’t spend a lot of time hiring grown-ups and then treat them like children,” she said.
According to Berg, companies “are going back to what they know.” She added, “[Spotify is] a business that’s been digital from birth, so why shouldn’t we give our people flexibility and freedom? Work is not a place you come to, it’s something you do.”
If productivity doesn’t drop, let them stay at home. Similar to Microsoft, Spotify associates teleworking with productivity levels. According to Berg, productivity levels haven’t been affected by the company’s remote work policy. However, she expressed concerns about work dynamics, collaboration, and innovation in a remote work context.
Instead of using lack of innovation as an argument to justify returning to the office, Spotify has initiated collaboration with the Stockholm School of Economics to conduct research on how to improve internal communication.
“It is harder and we all struggle to collaborate in a virtual environment. But does that mean that we will start forcing people to come into the office as soon as there is a trend for it? No,” Berg told Raconteur. She also said, “We know what happens when people sit down and you can actually look each other in the eye. It’s different to being on screen.”
Going back to the office for a purpose or because you want to. Spotify is embracing a distributed work model but still maintaining its offices. According to Berg, the company is considering reducing its real estate investment but is allowing employees to come to the office voluntarily. “People who work here tend to love music. We try to find things that make people want to come into the office rather than forcing them to,” Berg said. One of these things are regular “listening lounge” sessions.
The only mandatory in-person requirement at Spotify is for small teams to meet face-to-face for one week each year. “By having one week where small teams travel to meet up, we can energize people and still have a low impact on the climate. It has worked really well,” Berg said.
Remote work despite layoffs. Like many other tech companies, Spotify has also reduced its headcount in the last few months. In 2023, the company carried out three rounds of layoffs, with the final round impacting 17% of its workforce. However, Spotify has chosen to maintain its commitment to telecommuting due to factors such as talent retention.
“It wasn’t pleasant to do but it was a business decision. We wanted to mature and we need to become a great business as well as a great product. We had to say goodbye to people that had done really well for us,” Berg told the outlet.
Image | Alpha Photo
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