Why This CEO Will Never Ask His Employees To Return To The Office: ''I Trust People"

At a time when several companies across the world are calling their employees back to the office, Mike Landau, CEO of New York-based Park My Fleet, remains steadfast in his commitment to a remote work framework. This decision is driven by the company's positive experience with remote work since its inception in 2020. Initially, the CEO believed that physical presence in the office was crucial for team cohesion and productivity. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to reevaluate this stance. After launching Park My Fleet in 2020, Mr Landau discovered the benefits of remote work, including access to a global talent pool, improved work-life balance, and high employee retention.

''As the company grew, I became increasingly enamoured with remote work. From a recruitment perspective, the world is my oyster. I like that employees don't have to think about their commute or can still do the school pickup, which helps their work-life balance,'' he told Business Insider.

The benefits of remote work, as experienced by Mr Landau, include:

• Access to global talent, overcoming geographical limitations
• Improved work-life balance, enhancing employee satisfaction
• High employee retention rates, reducing turnover costs
• Increased flexibility, boosting productivity and morale

With a workforce spread across the US, Israel, and Costa Rica, Mr Landau adopts a work-from-anywhere policy, allowing employees to work flexibly. He said that he trusts people are disciplined enough to work from home and do the job. "We have a work-from-anywhere policy, too; as long as employees comply with local employment laws, then I'm happy for them to do that. I've worked from hotels on the beach and in Europe while vacationing,'' he told the publication. 

While acknowledging some roles require in-person attendance, he remains committed to remote work for most of his team. The company balances remote work with in-person connections through strategic initiatives like quarterly team-building events, bi-annual company-wide retreats, regional meetups, and social activities like volunteer days or game nights.

To maintain face-to-face interaction in virtual settings, Park My Fleet has a camera-on policy for video meetings. The company also encourages regular virtual coffee breaks and spontaneous video check-ins. According to Mr Landau, these practices help build strong relationships and trust among team members. 

''I find it a lot easier to collaborate remotely, especially with things like sharing a screen online, rather than having people huddled around one screen and looking at something or trying to connect to a projector in a conference room,'' he added.

Having said that, the CEO also acknowledged the unique challenges remote work presents, especially for new hires accustomed to office environments. However, he believes that video calls can effectively bridge the gap.

Despite the growing trend of companies like Amazon mandating a return to office, Mr Landau said that he has no similar plans. He believes that changing remote work policies after hiring remote employees can severely damage company morale and erode trust.

​​​​''As an employee who joined a company as a remote worker, it would feel like a bait-and-switch move if the CEO then decided to change the remote work policy. I would find that very disconcerting. I think it would not be good for company morale, and I have no intention of mandating a return to the office. While there are pros and cons to both, the pros outweigh the cons for us as an organization,'' he remarked.