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A tech giant who previously pioneered remote work
Google, one of the most influential technology companies in the world, recently redoubled efforts to bring employees back to the office.
According to its managers, this radical initiative aims to restore a certain “normality” in relationships within the company. It marks the end of widespread home working and the deployment of hybrid policies. It also comes at a time when the reputation of Microsoft and Open AI in the field of artificial intelligence is constantly increasing.
A step backwards to ensure productivity
Indeed, while Google was among the first companies to consider remote work “for life”, the company is reconsidering its position and now imposes 3 days of work in the office per week in order to increase and regain its pre-pandemic efficiency.
This strategy is in line with that of other giants in the sector, such as Meta, which recently announced a mandatory return to the office of at least 3 days a week starting in September. Other businesses, like Salesforce, are adopting an incentive strategy to convince employees to work in person, by pledging to donate to non-profit organizations for every day they work in person.
The challenges of returning to work for Google: lingering expectations and concerns
Despite its numerous initiatives to try to return to normal, Google has faced major hurdles in achieving its goals.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the appearance of teleworking have changed the organization of businesses. Google employees have taken a liking to new ways of working and operating, and are now reluctant to reintegrate the pre-pandemic system.
This behavior is in line with profound social movements. According to a study conducted by a professor at Stanford University, out of 5000 employees in the United States, a third does not want to return to face-to-face work.
Google then faces numerous challenges as for the implementation of this project to return teams to the office:
Work-life balance
Remote working has given employees increased flexibility allowing them to balance their professional and personal lives. For employees, the return to the office seems to be a source that can complicate the reconciliation of professional life with personal life.
New employee expectations
After a long period of working remotely, many employees enjoyed the advantages of working from home such as the elimination of trips, flexible schedules and a personalized work environment.
Continued pandemic concerns
Despite the easing of restrictions and the decrease in the number of Covid-19 cases, the pandemic continues to raise concerns which contribute to the ongoing reluctance of employees to return to the office due to the health risks associated with the spread of the virus.
A strange paradox: the end of all teleworking?
A surprising paradox lies in the fact that The first businesses such as Apple, Amazon, or Meta, which have advocated the development of teleworking Are also the first to question its effectiveness by requiring a return to the office, at least part of the time, to adopt a hybrid model. However, according to the Pew Research Center, the majority of employees who have experienced remote working want to continue this mode of operation.
A tool to combine the best of both worlds
Thus, it seems essential to reconcile employers and employees on this subject, in order to make the most of flexibility while maintaining team life and cohesion. This hybridization is organized in order to provide moments of exchange, formal or informal. Tools like m-work thus make it possible to organize office presence and meetings, to get the best out of both models.
Despite Google's efforts to bring employees back to the office, the company has faced unprecedented challenges. Continued pandemic concerns, new employee expectations, and work-life balance were major challenges.
However, the use of collaborative software and the implementation of good hybrid work practices appear to be simple and effective solutions to face these challenges, using tools that adapt to the changing needs of employees. By offering advanced remote collaboration features, an opportunity to optimize workspaces, and maintaining social relationships between employees, m-work makes it possible to create an effective hybrid work environment.
