When Microsoft executive Byron Rader explains that he is the Vice President of Modern Work Customer Success, one might assume this position was formed in the wake of recent changes in the labor market. But Rader created his post five years ago - long before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Rader is responsible for the implementation strategy of products supporting hybrid work at Microsoft customers the world over. As such, he repeatedly notes the importance and power of technology in helping employees achieve productivity, and in helping managers to optimize team work, even when they don’t sit together.
Flexibility has become the name of the game
Rader came to Israel last week for a two-day visit during which he met senior managers at companies that have adopted Microsoft's hybrid workplace solutions. Some technologies related to Rader's work are being developed at Microsoft’s Israel campus, including the security measures required when migrating to remote management. "We usually talk about FOMO", says Rader, "but there is also the possibility of JOMO - the Joy of Missing Out". So even if someone can't join a work meeting, he says, they still won't lose out because all materials have been efficiently recorded, transcribed and summarized.
Despite the huge area of the new Microsoft site in Israel (46,000 square meters, including technologically equipped conference rooms, open-space work areas, cafes, a store, dog park, and more), work at Microsoft is hybrid. On days when employees do come to the site, they can sit wherever they like, without a permanent office. In Israel, it seems, hybridity is exceptionally unrestricted.
"The way we conduct remote meetings is only the beginning of the story," says Rader. "There are five challenges that go together with work today, where Microsoft wants to help. The first, is that a new generation is entering the labor force and is used to using tools like TikTok and video. They want to see this technology in their workplace as well. In order to attract talent, you need to think about how to faciliate this technologically.
"The second is that companies have the same expectations of their managers they’ve always had, if not more, but they don't necessarily have the skills to manage productivity in a hybrid environment. A third point is the role of the physical office. It has completely changed, and we want to think of it as much more than just a workplace. The fourth topic is flexibility; we have to respect the employee's time. The fifth issue relates to social interactions, which have changed when about half of the employees at many organizations aren’t in the office at all."
Can management be remote without compromising on privacy?
In 2016, Microsoft acquired social network LinkedIn, giving it an up-close view on job market trends. One of the new solutions offered to customers today has already been adapted to work that isn’t necessarily at the office. The Viva platform serves employees as well as managers. It can send alerts, or recommendations, on ways to streamline work, such as: "You’re wasting too much time on meetings." It analyzes the employee's conduct using business intelligence (BI), and suggests optimizations, and sometimes even reinforcement of social connections. Another feature can, for example, suggest that a team member should come into the office because most of their friends are present that day.
"For the managers, we can present work analyses for the entire team, and not individually," Rader explains. "Of course, all this will be done while maintaining privacy. We just summarize the data and update it. For example, a certain department may have too many or too few meetings."
What makes a good employer today?
"Someone who knows how to integrate technology into the corporate culture. At Microsoft Israel we give our almost 3,000 employees a great deal of flexibility, but we also expect a lot from them. This combination is fundamental. I strongly believe that in the coming years, the biggest stars in an enterprise will be the information systems manager and the IT manager. The next step is to harness the technological tools for management and HR, and make it possible to attract new talent."
How does a good employer retain employees?
"Employees want to feel valued. Of course, everyone wants money, but recognition is just as important, especially among the younger generation. Even values like sustainability and accessibility are much more important to employees today than in the past. If they don't find them at a company, they’ll simply go to another company. Another important thing is the direct manager. Most people leave a workplace because of their direct manager. Another important thing is to know what the next step in their career path will be. Employees ask themselves, 'Will I be able to fill another role here in the future?'
Quiet quitting won’t happen in China
You’ve been at Microsoft for 23 years. These days, it’s rare to find such loyalty to an organization.
"During this time, I’ve been in Sweden, Britain, France, Singapore, California and Seattle, and I’ve also held various positions - from finance, through marketing and business development - and now I’m in the world of customer success. There were times in my career when I thought about leaving, and each time they said to me, ‘Have you ever worked in this or that area,' and I’d answer, 'No, that could really be interesting.'"
As someone who has worked in different countries, do you think that phenomena like 'quiet quitting' know no borders?
"Absolutely not. Every country has a different culture, and quiet quitting is something that fits the US. In my experience, quiet quitting wouldn’t be acceptable in Japan or China. By the way, technology as a management tool could also help reduce these phenomena."
We’ve been talking about the welfare of employees, managers and employers. But look at Elon Musk - what about the mass layoffs he made at Twitter this past weekend. Firing people via email?
"What I’m saying is my opinion only," Rader is careful to clarify. "From a financial perspective, I guess Musk saw an opportunity for revenue. They also brought back some people because he realized he was firing too many. Personally, regarding the way it was done, I think that's absolutely not the right way. At all companies today - the approach is that it's all about people. It’s also not fair to the employees who stayed. They may feel guilty, and ask themselves, is this really the company for me? The coming months there will be challenging."
There’s talk that we are on the brink of an economic crisis. Is this something that you think will change the balance of power in the market and send us backwards?
"If the employees have fewer opportunities, then of course. They will sometimes simply have to be satisfied with the fact that they have a job. But even if we reach a crisis point, there will be a change, and managers will go back to having more power. The successful companies will be the ones that know how to combine their corporate culture with technology, how to transition to productive hybrid work, and how to retain their talents."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on November 14, 2022.
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