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Best Buy ends work-from-home program

money.cnn.com

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Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#11

Post by kevinconroy »

pyre wrote: post #7

| "In the context of a business transformation, it | makes sense to consider not just what the results | are but how the work gets done," Furman said. | "It's 'all hands on deck' at Best Buy, and that | means having employees in the office as much as | possible to collaborate and connect on ways to | improve our business 1. The "all hands on deck" thing is a bit over the top. It makes it sound like he thinks that peo…

I believe the fundamental problem that these companies face is that they've grown so big and complex that many fiefdoms have developed. There are isolated teams within the larger organization.

Frankly, it doesn't matter if the teams are in the office or working from home. The Real Problem (TM) that they're facing is that they've forgotten how to innovate, communicate internally, and be agile at scale.

They want a quick fix for these problems, so it's an easy mental leap to "get everyone in the same building to start with."

The "no more telecommuting" is making headlines, but what isn't making headlines is whatever else they are doing AFTER the telecommuting is over to fix these problems. I certainly hope that if "all hands on deck" is Step A that there's also steps B-Z.

The real problem is if they think ending telecommuting will solve all of the real problems. (It won't.)

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#12

Post by jfoutz »

mindcrime wrote: post #8

Marissa Mayer might be a trendsetter. Just one week after the Yahoo CEO banned telecommuting at her company, Best Buy is ending its own flexible work program. Well, one insightful HN'er, christopheraden, sorta called this[1], back in one of the earlier threads[2] on the Yahoo decision. Unfortunately it looks like people might just be following Mayer's lead here (even though she hasn't exactly "turned Yahoo around" ju…

It's just for dying companies. Yahoo and Best Buy are facing life and death changes. It makes sense to go into full panic mode. Maybe they'll come back, if they get small enough, maybe they'll be nimble enough to make some cash. Finding the really loyal employees is probably a good move. Scaling back benefits is a good way to do that.

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#14

Post by smtddr »

pyre wrote: post #7

| "In the context of a business transformation, it | makes sense to consider not just what the results | are but how the work gets done," Furman said. | "It's 'all hands on deck' at Best Buy, and that | means having employees in the office as much as | possible to collaborate and connect on ways to | improve our business 1. The "all hands on deck" thing is a bit over the top. It makes it sound like he thinks that peo…

>Are these companies doing so poorly that they feel that chance meetings in the hallways or at the water-cooler will be their salvation?

For what it's worth, that is exactly the logic Google is using for the design of their new building near SF.

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/02/26/google-reveals-plans-for-ba...

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#15

Post by mindcrime »

jfoutz wrote: post #12
mindcrime wrote: post #8

Marissa Mayer might be a trendsetter. Just one week after the Yahoo CEO banned telecommuting at her company, Best Buy is ending its own flexible work program. Well, one insightful HN'er, christopheraden, sorta called this[1], back in one of the earlier threads[2] on the Yahoo decision. Unfortunately it looks like people might just be following Mayer's lead here (even though she hasn't exactly "turned Yahoo around" ju…

It's just for dying companies. Yahoo and Best Buy are facing life and death changes. It makes sense to go into full panic mode. Maybe they'll come back, if they get small enough, maybe they'll be nimble enough to make some cash. Finding the really loyal employees is probably a good move. Scaling back benefits is a good way to do that.

It's just for dying companies.

Let us hope so.

Finding the really loyal employees is probably a good move. Scaling back benefits is a good way to do that.

But is that really the way it works? Somebody on another thread pointed out that this sort of thing probably actually costs you your best people, since the ones who leave first are the ones with plenty of options. The ones who hang around as long as possible aren't necessarily loyal they may just not think they can find another job, or they're "retired on the job" and hoping to milk it as long as they can until they get canned.

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#16

Post by doktrin »

pyre wrote: post #7

| "In the context of a business transformation, it | makes sense to consider not just what the results | are but how the work gets done," Furman said. | "It's 'all hands on deck' at Best Buy, and that | means having employees in the office as much as | possible to collaborate and connect on ways to | improve our business 1. The "all hands on deck" thing is a bit over the top. It makes it sound like he thinks that peo…

At the micro level, I have seen many teams pull everyone in to the same physical location when faced with a sprint or deadline. It doesn't strike me as inherently illogical, and is a strategy that IME has yielded results.

What yahoo and BB are doing is essentially this, but at scale. They are both companies under significant duress and pressure and are attempting to rally the troops. While it remains to be seen whether these drastic moves will help, they most likely will not hurt.

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#17

Post by slantyyz »

atto wrote: post #5
saraid216 wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd imagine it's a good way to convince people to quit rather than wait to be fired.

The downside to this approach is that your good ones leave first. At least you have some control over who gets fired.

Best Buy has been flagging for a while. I'm sure the good ones had left before this announcement arose.

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#18

Post by slantyyz »

mindcrime wrote: post #15
jfoutz wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's just for dying companies. Yahoo and Best Buy are facing life and death changes. It makes sense to go into full panic mode. Maybe they'll come back, if they get small enough, maybe they'll be nimble enough to make some cash. Finding the really loyal employees is probably a good move. Scaling back benefits is a good way to do that.

It's just for dying companies. Let us hope so. Finding the really loyal employees is probably a good move. Scaling back benefits is a good way to do that. But is that really the way it works? Somebody on another thread pointed out that this sort of thing probably actually costs you your best people, since the ones who leave first are the ones with plenty of options. The ones who hang around as long as possible aren't…

>> Let us hope so.

I'm not sure that it's really a big deal. For every company that ends telecommuting, another one will come around offering telecommuting as a strategy to acquire talent.

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#19

Post by kayoone »

I think its totally understandable for a struggling company to do this and dont get the conspirancies about how they want to cut down workforce on the cheap.

I work remotely myself but still, managing alot of remote emplyees creates overhead in different places and this is one simple measure to solve these issues. Sure there might be better solutions, but its certainly effective and fast.

Re: Best Buy ends work-from-home program

#20

Post by mikescar »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #13

So the message is now clear- ending telecommuting is something failing companies do.

Yahoo stock is up from $15 under Scott Thompson to almost $23 with Mayer, so not sure what point you're trying to make.

Please, since you are so familiar with the ins and outs of Yahoo, what would you have done differently?

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