Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt joins us to unpack the intriguing tension between the undeniable productivity benefits of remote work and the importance of in-office presence for career growth. Schmidt’s candid insights spark a thought-provoking discussion on whether the conventional office environment is truly irreplaceable for mentorship and spontaneous learning, particularly for young professionals starting their careers.
During our conversation, we explore Schmidt’s acknowledgment of remote work’s productivity boost, citing studies like Microsoft’s successful trial in Japan. Yet, Schmidt remains steadfast in his belief that face-to-face interactions offer unparalleled value. We also examine the concerns of Gen Z employees who feel that remote work might impede their career advancement. This episode challenges existing norms and invites listeners to consider if traditional offices are truly the key to professional success or if new pathways can emerge in this evolving work landscape.
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Speaker 1
0:00
Hey
everyone
and
welcome
back
to
another
episode
of
Remote
Work
Life
the
podcast
where
we
explore
the
evolving
world
of
remote
first
businesses
,
location
,
independent
entrepreneurship
and
all
the
benefits
that
come
with
living
and
working
beyond
the
traditional
office
.
Campbell
,
you
probably
know
how
passionate
I
am
about
remote
work
and
how
I
think
it's
a
game
changer
for
productivity
,
work-life
balance
and
even
company
culture
.
But
today
I
want
to
discuss
a
bit
of
a
controversy
.
Former
CEO
,
eric
Schmidt
,
recently
made
some
comments
on
the
diary
of
a
CEO
podcast
that
have
the
remote
work
community
talking
.
In
short
,
schmidt
admitted
that
remote
work
does
boost
productivity
,
but
still
insists
that
employees
should
come
into
the
office
.
But
what's
going
on
here
?
Let's
break
it
down
.
So
here's
the
situation
.
Eric
Schmidt
,
a
titan
of
the
tech
industry
and
someone
whose
career
and
opinions
are
closely
followed
,
recently
acknowledged
that
the
data
shows
work
from
home
policies
can
lead
to
slightly
higher
productivity
.
He
said
the
evidence
does
not
support
our
view
,
meaning
the
old
school
in
office
first
mentality
.
Schmidt
went
on
to
admit
that
,
while
he
believes
in
the
benefits
of
face-to-face
work
,
he
recognizes
that
hybrid
and
remote
policies
actually
seem
to
increase
productivity
.
But
here's
the
kicker
despite
all
that
,
he
still
prefers
to
have
employees
in
the
office
,
arguing
that
being
there
is
crucial
for
career
growth
,
especially
for
younger
employees
.
Arguing
that
being
there
is
crucial
for
career
growth
,
especially
for
younger
employees
.
Now
,
this
is
a
bit
of
a
shift
from
some
of
Schmidt's
earlier
remarks
,
where
he
criticized
Google's
remote
work
policies
and
claimed
that
the
company
had
fallen
behind
in
the
AI
race
because
it
was
too
focused
on
work-life
balance
.
So
where
does
this
leave
us
?
Is
Eric
Schmidt
right
?
And
if
he
is
,
what
does
this
mean
for
the
future
of
remote
work
?
Speaker 1
2:10
Let's
unpack
it
a
bit
more
.
On
the
one
hand
,
schmidt
is
saying
that
the
data
is
pretty
clear
Remote
work
leads
to
higher
productivity
,
and
we've
heard
this
from
a
lot
of
other
sources
too
.
Right
,
a
number
of
studies
in
the
last
few
years
have
indicated
that
employees
are
often
more
productive
when
working
from
home
.
Whether
it's
fewer
distractions
,
no
commute
or
just
the
ability
to
create
a
more
personalized
,
focused
environment
,
remote
work
has
its
perks
.
For
example
,
microsoft's
trial
of
remote
work
in
Japan
showed
a
40%
boost
in
productivity
when
employees
work
from
home
.
So
Schmidt's
not
wrong
when
he
acknowledges
that
data
.
Speaker 1
2:53
But
then
the
plot
thickens
.
Schmidt
says
I
don't
like
it
,
but
I
want
to
acknowledge
the
science
is
there
.
Now
that's
interesting
.
It
almost
feels
like
he's
admitting
that
remote
work
is
objectively
better
in
terms
of
productivity
,
but
he's
still
personally
not
sold
on
it
.
That's
kind
of
a
familiar
tension
,
isn't
it
?
I
mean
,
we've
all
seen
leaders
like
Schmidt
,
those
who
value
collaboration
,
the
energy
of
being
in
the
same
room
and
,
yes
,
those
spontaneous
hallway
chats
,
and
I
get
,
know
,
I
get
it
.
There's
something
irreplaceable
about
face-to-face
interaction
,
that
serendipitous
learning
that
happens
when
you're
just
around
your
colleagues
.
It's
the
stuff
that
leads
to
new
ideas
,
creative
problem
solving
and
those
aha
moments
.
Speaker 1
3:40
But
here's
the
question
Is
that
enough
to
override
the
clear
productivity
benefits
of
remote
work
?
Schmidt
thinks
it
is
,
or
at
least
that's
his
preference
.
He
mentioned
how
,
when
he
was
a
young
executive
,
he
learned
so
much
just
by
hanging
out
with
people
in
the
office
,
observing
others
and
being
present
.
It's
this
idea
that
in-person
work
is
a
vital
piece
of
mentorship
.
It's
this
idea
that
in-person
work
is
a
vital
piece
of
mentorship
,
especially
for
younger
employees
.
That's
where
he's
coming
from
with
his
suggestion
that
if
you're
in
your
20s
,
you
need
to
be
in
the
office
for
career
advancement
.
Now
,
that
part
is
interesting
too
,
because
it
aligns
with
some
recent
studies
showing
that
Gen
Z
workers
are
eager
to
be
in
the
office
.
Speaker 1
4:31
For
that
very
reason
,
a
lot
of
younger
employees
believe
that
remote
work
is
actively
hindering
their
career
progression
because
they're
not
able
to
benefit
from
that
kind
of
organic
on-the-job
learning
,
on
the
job
learning
.
And
,
to
be
fair
,
schmidt's
experience
does
reflect
that
.
No-transcript
,
you
do
need
that
mentorship
.
You
need
to
be
able
to
see
how
experienced
team
members
handle
situations
and
maybe
just
learn
by
watching
how
others
interact
.
But
and
this
is
a
big
but
does
that
mean
remote
work
is
automatically
a
career
killer
for
young
workers
?
No
,
it
certainly
does
not
.
I
think
it's
worth
considering
that
a
lot
of
remote
first
companies
are
doing
a
great
job
at
building
mentorship
structures
that
don't
require
in-person
office
time
.
Take
companies
like
GitLab
,
automatic
or
Buffer
.
These
are
fully
remote
companies
that
manage
to
foster
both
productivity
and
professional
growth
,
even
for
younger
employees
.
They're
doing
it
through
intentional
,
structured
mentorship
and
team
building
exercises
.
So
the
need
for
in-person
interaction
isn't
necessarily
a
given
.
Speaker 1
5:50
And
here's
where
Schmidt's
position
starts
to
look
a
little
more
complex
.
Just
earlier
this
year
,
he
publicly
criticized
Google's
remote
policies
,
saying
the
company
had
fallen
behind
in
AI
because
it
had
been
too
focused
on
work-life
balance
,
and
he
went
as
far
as
to
say
that
if
you
want
to
win
in
business
,
you
shouldn't
be
letting
people
work
from
home
once
a
week
.
But
then
,
in
this
more
recent
interview
,
he
admits
that
the
data
actually
support
the
idea
that
productivity
can
be
higher
with
remote
work
.
So
did
Schmidt
backpedal
on
his
earlier
stance
?
It
almost
feels
that
way
,
doesn't
it
?
But
here's
what
I
think
,
and
it's
something
I've
talked
about
before
.
The
conversation
should
not
be
about
remote
versus
in
office
,
but
about
creating
flexible
environments
that
work
for
everyone
.
You
can
have
high
productivity
,
career
growth
and
mentorship
in
a
remote
first
setup
if
you
intentionally
design
for
it
,
and
companies
like
GitLab
have
proved
that
.
Designed
for
it
,
and
companies
like
GitLab
have
proved
that
.
Speaker 1
7:00
What's
most
interesting
to
me
,
though
,
is
how
this
ongoing
debate
really
highlights
the
deep
divide
we're
seeing
in
the
corporate
world
right
now
.
On
one
hand
,
you've
got
executives
like
Schmidt
who
are
deeply
nostalgic
for
the
in-office
experience
,
thinking
that's
the
only
path
to
success
,
but
then
,
on
the
other
hand
,
you've
got
younger
workers
and
progressive
leaders
who
are
saying
,
hey
,
we
figured
out
how
to
be
productive
and
engaged
remotely
,
let's
embrace
that
flexibility
and
let's
do
this
our
way
.
What
Schmidt's
comments
also
reveal
is
the
difficulty
of
adjusting
to
this
new
era
.
For
decades
,
the
office
has
been
the
gold
standard
.
It's
where
business
was
done
,
and
now
,
all
of
a
sudden
,
that
whole
paradigm
is
being
questioned
.
So
where
does
that
leave
us
?
Speaker 1
7:57
Well
,
while
Schmidt
might
be
coming
around
on
the
productivity
benefits
of
remote
work
,
he's
still
holding
on
to
that
old
school
belief
that
in-office
work
is
key
for
career
growth
and
mentorship
,
especially
for
younger
employees
.
But
I
think
the
future
of
work
will
be
about
balance
and
flexibility
.
We
can
have
both
remote
work
and
in-office
environments
that
support
productivity
,
mentorship
and
collaboration
.
The
question
is
will
companies
find
a
way
to
blend
these
facets
or
will
we
continue
to
see
a
tug
of
war
between
the
two
?
As
always
?
I'm
all
in
on
the
remote
first
future
.
For
me
it's
about
flexibility
,
family
and
freedom
.
But
I'd
love
to
hear
what
you
think
.
Does
Eric
Schmidt
make
a
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
YouTube