How Big Tech Is Approaching Work Post-Pandemic

According to The Future of work After COVID-19report published by McKinsey early in 2021, up to 25% of the workforce in advanced economies is expected to work from home three to five days per week. This is around four or five times more than before the pandemic.

How are employees looking forward to this shift?

Well, it seems most of us are for it! According to The Work Trend Index Survey conducted by Edelman Data x Intelligence for Microsoft, 73% of employees are in favor of more flexible remote working options and 67% of employees would like in-person collaboration to return. This is heralding the onset of hybrid work with 66% of leaders considering hybrid-work office redesigns.

If you’re considering remote-hybrid work for your organization and need some ideas, here's a look at what five of the top names in tech are doing about it.

Twitter

Twitter made headlines back in May 2020, when the company told employees they could work from home forever. Jennifer Christie, Twitter’s VP of people, said in a blog post, ‘If our employees are in a role and situation that enables them to work from home and they want to continue to do so forever, we will make that happen.’

Facebook

Facebook has also announced that some employees can continue to work from home post-pandemic. In an interview with CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, he stated the company is rethinking its work structure to allow up to 50% of its employees to work remotely over the next five to ten years.

Google

Google is more hesitant and is pressing for a reopening of its offices on 1 September 2021. The tech giant is expecting most employees to be in the office for at least three days a week following the reopening.

According to CEO Sundar Pichai, ‘We firmly believe that in-person, being together, having a sense of community is super important when you have to solve hard problems and create something new so we don’t see that changing. But we do think we need to create more flexibility and more hybrid models.’ The company also announced that employees who wish to work remotely after 1 September for over 14 days must officially apply for it.

Apple

Apple is taking a similar stance to Google with CEO Tim Cook saying, ‘My gut says that, for us, it's still very important to physically be in touch with one another because collaboration isn't always a planned activity.’

The company is expecting more of a hybrid work environment where some remote work will continue.

Microsoft

Microsoft has started prototyping hybrid meeting rooms and spaces on several sites according to a blog post by EVP Kurt DelBene. The company expects a mix of home and office work to be standard going forward and is focusing on flexibility.

DelBene said, ‘Though we don’t know how far off a new normal is, we are adapting to a new way of working with an expanded understanding of flexibility. We know there are thousands of ways of working...and we believe that flexibility is essential to maintaining work-life balance.’

Smallpdf

Smallpdf has announced a change to its working structure, fully embracing hybrid work. The new working model offers staff the freedom to work from home as often as they want, with a minimum of five in-office days per month.

This gives employees the flexibility to work where they're most at ease and productive, but to use those five in-office days to connect with their teammates and attend important meetings and engagements. This setup strikes the perfect balance between optimal productivity and connection for a truly vibrant company culture.

'Our amazing team has demonstrated that growth is possible through remote work. Our hybrid working model is flexible enough to be tailored to all employees, regardless of their work location preferences,' says Carlota Alcázar, People & Culture Lead at Smallpdf.

Smallpdf went to great lengths to understand the benefits that come with remote work, such as a kinder environmental impact, cost, travel, and time savings, a reduction in stress, and a host of other health benefits. The company is proud of its new working model and has included it in its long list of company benefits.

Getting the Right Tools

It’s safe to say remote work is here to stay. If flexible work will be a feature in your organization going forward, then getting the right tools is crucial! Check out our article on Online Tools for Working From Home to get started.