Reporting to offices may deter best talent from joining Yahoo, say experts

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! Inc chief executive officer Marissa Mayer, by ordering staff to report to offices, risks losing the productivity gains that can come from flexible work arrangements and may jeopardise her ability to lure top talent. Jackie Reses, Yahoo’s executive VP of people and development, sent a memo last week asking employees with work-from-home arrangements to make their way to the company’s offices, starting June.

“To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-byside,” according to the memo, whose contents were confirmed by a Yahoo employee who asked not to be identified because it’s not a public document. “Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.”

At a time when Mayer is under pressure to jump-start growth and create innovative products, the shift may compromise Yahoo’s ability to attract employees seeking the freedom to work outside the office — a perk offered by many of the company’s competitors. Research suggests that working from home enhances productivity, said Jody Thompson, co-founder of workforce consultant CultureRx.

“Mayer has taken a giant leap backward,” Thompson said in an email. “Instead of keeping great talent, she is going to find herself with a workplace full of people who are good at showing up and putting in time.” People who work from home tend to have less stress and are more productive, partly because they don’t invest time and money in commuting, said Brad Harrington, executive director of the Boston College Center for Work & Family.