Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said companies should use the data to determine when and how workers return to workers, calling companies on Thursday that they believe have found a “short-sighted” answer.
Nadella’s statements come as the company backs down from its indefinite reopening due to concerns about the Covid-19 delta variant. Microsoft previously postponed its reopening plan from Sept. 7 to Oct. 4 last month.
“I’m looking forward to everyone overcoming this challenge because until we do, one company in particular, one region that thinks it has found the answer, I think it will only be short-sighted,” he said.
Microsoft joins several technology companies, including Amazon, Facebook and Google, which have pushed back reopenings amid a growing number of cases.
Nadella also highlighted the company’s recent labor trends index, which found that feelings of inclusiveness and managerial support are high among the company’s employees. But while many workers want the flexibility of remote work, they want face-to-face connections with co-workers, a phenomenon the company calls the hybrid work paradox.
“Sometimes we think about this pandemic or the impact of one region at a time, but it’s a connected world,” Nadella said. “One thing we decided is that from now on, we’ll just use the data to really talk about the openness of any particular region.”
Microsoft also announced that it will launch new Teams app features in 2022, which they hope can enhance the experience of meeting colleagues remotely. Features include an artificial intelligence camera that can detect who is speaking and the ability to integrate a Teams camera feed with PowerPoint.
While software can help managers adapt to employee preferences, it does have its limits, Nadella warned.
“I think the connection between the employee and the mission of the company, its leader and the team, will be the new currency,” he said. “So I think it’s also a place where technology and data can help.”