Rapid Response: What’s wrong with the remote vs. in-office debate? w/Atlassian co-CEO Scott Farquhar
Jan 18, 2024
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Scott Farquhar, co-CEO and co-founder of Atlassian, challenges the norm in the remote vs. in-office work debate. He reveals how 90% of CEOs favor in-office workers for promotions, contradicting his company's findings. With their 'Team Anywhere' initiative, Atlassian embraces flexibility and intentional gatherings to enhance productivity. Scott emphasizes the need for strategic experimentation and a shift in leadership mindset to prepare for the future of work, encouraging companies to rethink traditional structures.
Deliberately gathering to build social bonds has a significant positive impact on connectedness and leads to a more human way of working.
Productivity should be measured by outcomes rather than hours worked, fostering a work environment that values efficiency and flexibility.
Deep dives
Atlassian's Team Anywhere Approach: Embracing Distributed Work
Atlassian, a $60 billion Australian software company, has implemented a program called Team Anywhere, allowing employees to work from anywhere. The company believes that being in the office every day does not necessarily lead to a sense of connection among coworkers. Through research, Atlassian found that intentionally gathering to build social bonds is more effective in fostering connection. They discovered that employees who came to the office every day did not have a higher sense of connection, but deliberately getting together had a significant positive impact. Atlassian advocates for a more human way of working that provides flexibility and talent advantage. The company's experience with distributed work has shown benefits in terms of employee satisfaction, talent recruitment, and workload optimization.
The Benefits of Deliberate Togetherness and Intentional Meetings
Atlassian emphasizes the importance of intentional togetherness and deliberate social bonding in the workplace. Instead of requiring employees to be in the office every day, the company suggests getting together purposely to build social bonds and create a sense of connection. Research conducted by Atlassian revealed that intentionally gathering had a substantial positive impact on connectedness to coworkers and the company. Surprisingly, the effect of deliberate togetherness lasted between three and five months. This finding suggests that intentionally getting together every few months can maintain a higher level of connectedness. Atlassian believes that deliberately connecting with colleagues is more effective than random encounters, and it allows employees to use their time more effectively.
Changing Productivity Paradigms in Distributed Work
Atlassian challenges traditional productivity measures based on presenteeism and hours spent in the office. The company believes that productivity should be measured by outcomes rather than hours worked. By focusing on outputs and results, Atlassian aims to create a work environment that values efficiency and effectiveness. They have built tools to track goals and key results rather than monitoring employees' daily office presence. Atlassian's data shows that employees' days have expanded, but with greater flexibility. People tend to work in a way that suits them best, whether it means starting early, taking mid-day breaks, or attending personal events during non-traditional hours. The company's experience suggests that a more human-centric approach to work can lead to increased productivity and overall job satisfaction.
Atlassian's Vision for the Future of Work
Atlassian represents a pioneering force in embracing distributed work, and they see it as the direction in which the future of work is heading. The company believes that remote work should not be controversial but should be embraced as a more human way to work. Atlassian aims to lead the way by sharing their experiences and research and advocating for the benefits of distributed work. They highlight the ability to tap into global talent, increase employee satisfaction, and change the way products are built. While acknowledging that there is still much to learn and refine, Atlassian encourages other companies to explore distributed work and find their own successful approaches.
The backlash against remote work is in full swing, with 90% of CEOs reportedly rewarding in-office workers with more promotions and raises. But to Scott Farquhar, co-CEO of Atlassian, that’s a big mistake — and in a just-released study, he’s got hard numbers to back him up. Scott talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about how the 10,000-person collaboration-software company — Australia’s premier tech startup — is defying the trend with a bold gambit called Team Anywhere. Adhering to an Atlassian core value (“no bullshit”), Scott shares insights about work flexibility, productivity, and the unexpected power of sporadic, but intentional gatherings. To prepare for the future of work, he says, business leaders need to take risks.
If you're interested in learning more from Atlassian and Scott be sure to check out "Lessons Learned," a report about how Atlassian has navigated distributed work at scale, including experiments they've run, data they've collected, and stories Atlassian employees have shared: https://www.atlassian.com/solutions/distributed/lessons-learned
