Zoom CEO: ‘We Cannot Have a Great Conversation’ on Zoom Call, Leaked Audio Reveals
The COVID-19 pandemic, remote work became a global norm for employees. However, Zoom, the digital infrastructure backbone of the pandemic, is now urging its workforce to return to the office, according to a leaked audio by Zoom chief executive officer Eric Yuan.
Yuan’s sentiments on the matter were recently revealed in leaked audio from an all-hands meeting,
Yuan said that employees within a 50-mile radius of an office must attend the office at least two days a week.
Yuan’s concerns about remote workw
At the meeting held on August 3, he expressed concerns about the effects of prolonged remote work on team dynamics, by saying, “Over the past several years, we’ve hired so many new ‘Zoomies’ that it’s really hard to build trust.”
Yuan further remarked that Zoom’s platform tended to foster excessive friendliness, hindering innovative conversations and debates among employees.
“We cannot have a great conversation. We cannot debate each other well because everyone tends to be very friendly when you join a Zoom call,” Yuan added.
While Yuan’s hybrid work proposal aligns with many companies finding a balance between remote and in-office work, his comments stress on the company’s belief in the limitations of its own platform in cultivating trust and innovation.
Zoom joins return to office trend
Yuan joins a growing list of tech CEOs advocating for a return to office post-pandemic, including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, who mandated three days a week in the office, and Apple, which reportedly tracks office attendance.
However, this shift away from remote work, which was once a perk, has met resistance from some employees, notably at Amazon, where workers have staged walkouts in protest.
Tech giants like Zoom, Amazon, and Meta may face increasing backlash from their workforce as they reduce remote work options that were once central to their appeal during the pandemic.
