'When you work from home...': Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on missing benefits of office

Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, who has been working from home for the past few months, is now realising the downside of being away from the office for so long. At The Wall Street Journal CEO Council, on October 6, Nadella said that the online meetings can make employees tired as well as make the transition from work to private life hard. He said that “when you are working from home, it sometimes feels like you are sleeping at work”. 

Amid the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, Microsoft Corp has been a major beneficiary of the 'work from home' boom. However, the CEO of the company now realised the pitfalls of being away from the office and cited brain studies which said that virtual meetings can be particularly enervating. Nadella said that 30 minutes into a video conference can leave one fatigued because of the concentration required. 

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While highlighting the benefits of the office, Nadella said that video meetings are more ‘transactional’. He added that work happens before meetings and after meetings. Further, he also went on to speak about the learnings from the pandemic and said that it taught him to value transitions between work and personal activities. He said that he is learning about the transitions and even started paying more attention to his schedule. 

The Microsoft CEO highlighted the challenges of hiring employees amid the pandemic. He said that it important to on-board employees successfully and ‘learning, re-skilling, upskilling is going to become a huge issue,’ he added. 

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Microsoft’s initiative for ‘new world of work’ 

In a bid to address the issue, the company recently has launched a feature ‘virtual commute’. Microsoft’s initiative would remind one to transition between work and personal life. The feature is not as much of a physical commute, as it is a mental one. According to a Bloomberg report, the company has also launched ‘Together Mode’, which place participants on video calls in a virtual space, such as an auditorium, meeting room or coffee bar to try to recreate an office atmosphere. 

According to Microsoft’s website, “We may not miss that hour of traffic bookending our days, but studies from Microsoft Research shows that commuters can serve as meaningful transitions at the beginning and end of the workday -- and that the reflection we do during that time can increase productivity by 12-15 per cent”. 

“Available in the first half of 2021, new features in Teams will make it seamless to structure your day by scheduling a virtual commute that helps you have a productive start in the morning and mindfully disconnect in the evening”. 

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