Remote Work Life Podcast
At Remote Work Life, we spotlight successful location-independent entrepreneurs and established remote work professionals. Our interviews highlight their journeys and growth strategies, and their inspiring stories offer ideas for your entrepreneurial and professional ventures and reveal insights on thriving while working remotely.
Remote Work Life Podcast
Remote Work Life podcast Eric Schidt final
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During our conversation, we explore Schmidt's acknowledgment of remote work's productivity boost, citing studies like Microsoft's successful trial in Japan. Yet, Schmidt remains steadfast in his belief that face-to-face interactions offer unparalleled value. We also examine the concerns of Gen Z employees who feel that remote work might impede their career advancement. This episode challenges existing norms and invites listeners to consider if traditional offices are truly the key to professional success or if new pathways can emerge in this evolving work landscape.
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Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Remote Work Life the podcast where we explore the evolving world of remote first businesses, location, independent entrepreneurship and all the benefits that come with living and working beyond the traditional office. Campbell, you probably know how passionate I am about remote work and how I think it's a game changer for productivity, work-life balance and even company culture. But today I want to discuss a bit of a controversy. Former Google CEO, eric Schmidt, recently made some comments on the diary of a CEO podcast that have the remote work community talking. In short, schmidt admitted that remote work does boost productivity, but still insists that employees should come into the office. But what's going on here? Let's break it down. So here's the situation. Eric Schmidt, a titan of the tech industry and someone whose career and opinions are closely followed, recently acknowledged that the data shows work from home policies can lead to slightly higher productivity. He said the evidence does not support our view, meaning the old school in office first mentality. Schmidt went on to admit that, while he believes in the benefits of face-to-face work, he recognizes that hybrid and remote policies actually seem to increase productivity. But here's the kicker despite all that, he still prefers to have employees in the office, arguing that being there is crucial for career growth, especially for younger employees. Arguing that being there is crucial for career growth, especially for younger employees. Now, this is a bit of a shift from some of Schmidt's earlier remarks, where he criticized Google's remote work policies and claimed that the company had fallen behind in the AI race because it was too focused on work-life balance. So where does this leave us? Is Eric Schmidt right? And if he is, what does this mean for the future of remote work?
Speaker 1:Let's unpack it a bit more. On the one hand, schmidt is saying that the data is pretty clear Remote work leads to higher productivity, and we've heard this from a lot of other sources too. Right, a number of studies in the last few years have indicated that employees are often more productive when working from home. Whether it's fewer distractions, no commute or just the ability to create a more personalized, focused environment, remote work has its perks. For example, microsoft's trial of remote work in Japan showed a 40% boost in productivity when employees work from home. So Schmidt's not wrong when he acknowledges that data.
Speaker 1:But then the plot thickens. Schmidt says I don't like it, but I want to acknowledge the science is there. Now that's interesting. It almost feels like he's admitting that remote work is objectively better in terms of productivity, but he's still personally not sold on it. That's kind of a familiar tension, isn't it? I mean, we've all seen leaders like Schmidt, those who value collaboration, the energy of being in the same room and, yes, those spontaneous hallway chats, and I get, know, I get it. There's something irreplaceable about face-to-face interaction, that serendipitous learning that happens when you're just around your colleagues. It's the stuff that leads to new ideas, creative problem solving and those aha moments.
Speaker 1:But here's the question Is that enough to override the clear productivity benefits of remote work? Schmidt thinks it is, or at least that's his preference. He mentioned how, when he was a young executive, he learned so much just by hanging out with people in the office, observing others and being present. It's this idea that in-person work is a vital piece of mentorship. It's this idea that in-person work is a vital piece of mentorship, especially for younger employees. That's where he's coming from with his suggestion that if you're in your 20s, you need to be in the office for career advancement. Now, that part is interesting too, because it aligns with some recent studies showing that Gen Z workers are eager to be in the office.
Speaker 1:For that very reason, a lot of younger employees believe that remote work is actively hindering their career progression because they're not able to benefit from that kind of organic on-the-job learning, on the job learning. And, to be fair, schmidt's experience does reflect that. No-transcript, you do need that mentorship. You need to be able to see how experienced team members handle situations and maybe just learn by watching how others interact. But and this is a big but does that mean remote work is automatically a career killer for young workers? No, it certainly does not. I think it's worth considering that a lot of remote first companies are doing a great job at building mentorship structures that don't require in-person office time. Take companies like GitLab, automatic or Buffer. These are fully remote companies that manage to foster both productivity and professional growth, even for younger employees. They're doing it through intentional, structured mentorship and team building exercises. So the need for in-person interaction isn't necessarily a given.
Speaker 1:And here's where Schmidt's position starts to look a little more complex. Just earlier this year, he publicly criticized Google's remote policies, saying the company had fallen behind in AI because it had been too focused on work-life balance, and he went as far as to say that if you want to win in business, you shouldn't be letting people work from home once a week. But then, in this more recent interview, he admits that the data actually support the idea that productivity can be higher with remote work. So did Schmidt backpedal on his earlier stance? It almost feels that way, doesn't it? But here's what I think, and it's something I've talked about before. The conversation should not be about remote versus in office, but about creating flexible environments that work for everyone. You can have high productivity, career growth and mentorship in a remote first setup if you intentionally design for it, and companies like GitLab have proved that. Designed for it, and companies like GitLab have proved that.
Speaker 1:What's most interesting to me, though, is how this ongoing debate really highlights the deep divide we're seeing in the corporate world right now. On one hand, you've got executives like Schmidt who are deeply nostalgic for the in-office experience, thinking that's the only path to success, but then, on the other hand, you've got younger workers and progressive leaders who are saying, hey, we figured out how to be productive and engaged remotely, let's embrace that flexibility and let's do this our way. What Schmidt's comments also reveal is the difficulty of adjusting to this new era. For decades, the office has been the gold standard. It's where business was done, and now, all of a sudden, that whole paradigm is being questioned. So where does that leave us?
Speaker 1:Well, while Schmidt might be coming around on the productivity benefits of remote work, he's still holding on to that old school belief that in-office work is key for career growth and mentorship, especially for younger employees. But I think the future of work will be about balance and flexibility. We can have both remote work and in-office environments that support productivity, mentorship and collaboration. The question is will companies find a way to blend these facets or will we continue to see a tug of war between the two? As always? I'm all in on the remote first future. For me it's about flexibility, family and freedom. But I'd love to hear what you think. Does Eric Schmidt make a
