ESCP ALUMNI magazine - #205 - Mars 2024 - 64

Campus ❙ École
scepticism and reluctance from employers -
because of lack of supervision, among other
reasons - hindered widespread adoption
of remote work. However, the crisis made
it evident that running a company entirely
remote was not only feasible but, for many, a
valuable asset provided managers would agree
to go through a phase of swift adaptation.
" Covid made it very clear that running a company
100% remote was a viable option. And also that
people had no choice to make that switch almost
overnight, " Plais says.
He adds that in 2014, investors shunned
his business because they did not believe in
remote work. However today the situation is
very different.
While the initial surge towards remote work
was fuelled by pandemic-induced lockdowns,
companies later embraced hybrid working
models, allowing employees to split their
time between home and the office. Plais
notes that economic cycles played a vital role
in sustaining remote work as a phenomenon.
" Companies grappling with layoffs during the
pandemic found it challenging to replace workers
during the recovery, " he says.
Shifting power dynamics
The ebb and flow of economic cycles have
shifted the balance of power in the employment
landscape. Initially, a tight labour market
gave employees newfound bargaining power
to negotiate remote work arrangements.
However, with widespread layoffs, particularly
in the technology sector, the pendulum
is swinging back to employers.
This shift has emboldened companies like
ANZ, Zoom, Amazon, and Google to enforce
return-to-office mandates or enact more subtle
coaxes. " We're seeing a massive trend for returning
to the office, especially in Silicon Valley. Things
are shifting, " says San Francisco-based Plais.
Significant investment in building offices, for
instance, has left companies seeking returns on
these substantial expenditures. All of this led to
a quick turnaround with a lot of CEOs mandating
drastic return to office policies. However,
Plais says that the workforce is pushing back,
especially amid rising inflation that makes
commuting costs less appealing to employees.
" Tech companies fired a lot of people, so the market
64 ❙
is favourable for employers, not employees anymore.
That's why they mandate office returns, " he
adds.
Navigating the new phase of work
As companies grapple with these shifts, the
discussion over working practices is entering
a new stage. Plais offers insights into how
employers can manage the tensions with staff
and navigate the complexities of hybrid work
effectively, based on his own experience running
platform.sh, a platform for hosting web
applications in the cloud.
accessible, that information flows in your organisation
smoothly. This is the foundation of a company
that can work remotely. "
He further stresses the importance of proper
utilisation to ensure recorded communications
and avoid expecting employees to be available
at all hours. " Slack and Teams are not instant
messengers; you cannot expect for everyone to wake
up in the middle of the night and respond in realtime
if you have a globally dispersed workforce. "
What every
company is trying
to do is get the best
team possible.
The opportunity
of remote or
hybrid work is to
hunt beyond your
local area.
Plais says that remote work options are crucial
for hiring and retaining top talent. Platform.
sh's decision to go remote-only was driven by
the necessity of recruiting engineers globally.
The approach has not only provided a better
work/life balance for employees but has also
resulted in a more culturally open and diverse
workforce, he adds. " If you want to take your
business global, this is a big win. What every company
is trying to do is get the best team possible.
The opportunity of remote or hybrid work is to
hunt beyond your local area. "
While hybrid work offers flexibility, it comes
with challenges, particularly in managing
teams across time zones. " I cannot overstate
the need for efficient asynchronous communication
and the use of tools like Slack and Teams
and in general for written information, " Plais
stresses. " You need to make sure that everything is
ESCP Alumni Magazine numéro 205 ❙ MARS 2024
Plais acknowledges that occasional in-person
meetings are essential for the success of
remote work. " There's the basic human need for
engagement, preventing burnout and boredom. As
social beings, the importance of periodic face-toface
interaction cannot be overstated. "
He adds that trust and accountability are
essential. " Remote requires a really adult relationship
where the only question becomes what's
your contribution to the company, not how many
hours did you work and when did these hours
occur, " Plais says. " It requires a special management
style. Control freaks have a really hard time
with remote. "
In his experience, hybrid is the toughest model
of all, since it often leads to some employees
feeling like " second-class citizens " , often the last
to know, sometimes never informed about
a decision that was made in the office. " And
hybrid also kills the purpose of being able to recruit
beyond your natural commute zone and reach out
to talents that were previously not going to be
considered, " Plais adds.
Done correctly, remote or hybrid work presents
an opportunity to enhance workforce engagement
and productivity, contributing to overall
organisational performance and effectiveness,
as Plais concludes:
" Offering employees a better work/life balance
translates into increased stickiness and retention
for teams, providing companies with a competitive
advantage. Navigating these changes intelligently
is the key to success in the evolving world of work,
where companies that embrace these shifts stand
to be the true winners. "
❙
This article was originally published on
ESCP's media, thechoice.escp.eu.
http://www.platform.sh http://thechoice.escp.eu
ESCP ALUMNI magazine - #205 - Mars 2024

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