Hello and welcome to the 4 new subscribers since the last update!
Today I want to cover the latest update from Salesforce and some notable links and news from the industry this past week. Onto the update.
The Salesforce Approach
Over the last year, Salesforce has been the leader in publishing policies and methodologies for managing offices during the pandemic. The latest update was the first I’ve seen that explicitly call out employee vaccinations being a part of the equation.
Salesforce.com said it would start allowing vaccinated employees to return to some of its offices, making it one of the first major U.S. corporations to give vaccinated workers preferential treatment over those who have not taken the shot - Reuters
📋 “I’m on the list”
We’re in a new world and Salesforce is uniquely positioned to be a leader in this world by using our own technology like Work.com and our expertise.
🧠 There are two genius strokes in this move:
They diffuse the concerns around opening both safely and soon
They become their own best case study for Work.com
What better way to promote your product than by a trojan-horse-press-release that is sure to be talked about? Genius.
🔊 Pump up the Pioneers
Pioneer groups are going to be the office’s biggest champions this year. They’ll help organizations not only ramp up their policies but build the enthusiasm around the office being an option again.
📟 On a Clubhouse chat, PagerDuty CEO Jennifer Tejada said “54% of employees wanted to go back to the office once safe”. We’ve seen physical spaces upgraded this past year to become safer but the real challenge is being safe around people.
Limiting the initial groups to this requirement is a great way to set confident expectations for people looking to return. What an easy way to change the headline.
Before: “We’re allowed to have up to 35% capacity, who wants to come in?”
After: “We have up to 35% capacity and are opening it up to vaccinated volunteers to start. Let us know if you’re interested”
Salesforce just reframed what “starting” the office return looks like and we will see companies copy/paste this into their policies, soon.
📌 Notes, links, listens, and reads
📊 LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index
50% of respondents say that flexibility of hours or location has become more important to them, post-COVID, when it comes to looking for a new job opportunity. That’s the fastest-rising factor, ahead of work-life balance (45%), benefits such as health coverage (41%), pay (36%) and workforce culture (36%).
🚗 Uber commits to the hybrid work model
That’s why in September 2021 we will shift to a hybrid model, where employees can work from home up to 2 days a week, but with a clear expectation that they also come into the office 3 days a week. We feel that this combination of in-person and remote work will give people the freedom to do their best work while staying connected to their colleagues.
🎙 JLL’s Melanie Mack on CRE tech and the return to work
🛻 Ford has a new vision for the HQ
Awaiting returning staff: A check-in app, ambient sensors to alert managers of crowded workspaces and videoconferencing carts
Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it.
👋 Cheers, Brendan
P.S. Salesforce employees are called Trailblazers