AI and RTO (return to office)

Is forcing employees to return to the office the best way to improve productivity?

Author

Manuela Barcenas
October 10, 2024

Welcome to another issue of the newsletter for team and org leaders by Fellow! 

I've been reflecting on Amazon's recent decision to bring all employees back to the office five days a week and what this shift could mean for other organizations.

Is forcing employees to return to the office the best way to improve productivity and collaboration? Read our CEO’s perspective and join the discussion here.

At Fellow, we’re taking a different stance. Instead of mandating a full-time return to the office, we create specific opportunities for in-person collaboration sessions that benefit from in-person like brainstorming workshops and hackathons. 

We believe that productivity challenges aren't necessarily solved by in-person collaboration and the solutions often lie in the right processes and tooling (like AI for instance).

As the conversation around return-to-office policies continues, it’s crucial to question whether mandating employees to return to the office serves the primary objective: efficient and effective teamwork; or if alternative strategies, like leveraging AI, could better align with the evolving needs of the workforce.

Keep scrolling to read how other leaders leverage AI to help their teams be more productive.

“If the primary goal is to hire the best talent and enable them to be productive, then it's worth considering remote/hybrid work.

And with connection building as the “secondary” goal, that can be addressed by bringing people together periodically throughout the year.

Reorient yourself towards what matters most.

Once you can separate things like this, you can’t unsee it…

Never let your secondary goal become your primary one.”

- Aydin Mirzaee, CEO at Fellow

This episode with Anthony Onesto dives into the integration of AI and the unique dynamics of the Gen Z workforce. It’s a must-listen for leaders navigating hybrid environments while trying to foster productivity amongst teams with mixed generations.

Here are some key moments you won’t want to miss:

  • 03:28 – Leadership mistakes and autonomy: Anthony discusses the importance of balancing autonomy with guidance and how to adjust your management style based on team members’ experience levels.

  • 17:24 – Gen Z’s need for stability: Gain insight into the expectations of the Gen Z workforce and how leaders can create environments that foster trust and growth.

  • 30:22 – The impact of AI on HR practices: Discover how AI is transforming communication and efficiency, and how companies like Suzy are taking an AI-first approach.

Listen to the full episode here and learn how to leverage AI and adapt your leadership strategies for a modern workforce.

Fellow tip of the week

This week’s tip comes from Tyler Ryll, Director of Customer Success at Fellow.

“Fellow’s AI meeting briefs have transformed how my Customer Success team and I prepare for and conduct meetings. As a leader managing multiple calls daily, keeping track of details and doing the necessary prep work can be challenging.

With Fellow’s AI meeting briefs, my Customer Success team receives a concise summary of the people they will meet 15 minutes before the call, covering everything from their preferences to their professional backgrounds. This allows them to start each meeting with a strong foundation and build genuine connections, making them appear well-prepared and confident.

Beyond meeting briefs, the AI recaps are invaluable for my team. They automatically capture action items and key insights from calls, ensuring nothing is missed even when real-time note-taking is challenging. The AI meeting copilot also assists with icebreakers and helps identify next steps, saving us significant time and enabling us to deliver better results for our clients. These tools are essential for maintaining efficiency and productivity in our day-to-day operations.”

- Tyler Ryll, Director of Customer Success at Fellow

And that’s it for this new issue of the Supermanagers TLDR Newsletter. We hope that the content we curated inspires you to continue growing as a leader.

If you're interested in connecting with like-minded CEOs, COOs, and Executives, send an email to [email protected] to join our exclusive Supermanagers Slack group.

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Thanks for being part of our community,

Manuela and the Fellow team