Flexibility, plants and good vibes are all part of Salesforce’s return-to-office strategy

But Schneider also thinks the office space needs to be made better by employees, starting with making “very stressful” trips back to buildings feel less exhausting, especially when the world around. mixed with the delta variant of COVID-19.

In addition to offering a number of hybrid and fixed teleworking options, Salesforce is also focused on things like providing upbeat music in office lobbies, more natural light, and plants that help improve office space. Improving indoor air quality and even furniture can make face-to-face collaboration more comfortable.

Schneider says that about 55% of Salesforce buildings are now open globally, in line with local health and safety protocols, which means only opening a few floors at a time to workers.

“It’s a relief valve,” she says of having the option for some employees to work a few days in the office. With more than 60,000 employees globally, the COVID crisis means having to work remotely for months but also at times navigating cramped apartments with roommates, all while the company keeps an eye on management. Cloud-based customer system Delivering blockbuster financial results.

Salesforce in May reported $5.96 billion in revenue for the second quarter, up 23% from a year ago. The San Francisco-based company also reported operating cash flow of $3.2 billion, 74% more than during the same period.

Its agreement to buy Slack Technologies Inc., a digital office powerhouse, for $27.7 billion closed this week.

The outlook for US office space has improved in recent months, but remains one of the worse off parts of the commercial real estate landscape after the pandemic ushered in an overnight reckoning around. remote work.

“I would like to see office occupancy as high as possible,” said Schneider, but added that Salesforce has also reviewed its leases with landlords as they think about the future of work, including by “dig into things like health and wellness” around plumbing, heating and air ventilation, and what homeowners may be responsible for providing.

“Flight to quality continues to be a key theme of the pandemic and will only intensify as the recovery begins in earnest,” real estate agent Jones Lang LaSalle
JLL,
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said this week in a second-quarter office outlook.

The report also notes that San Francisco’s office market still faces significant difficulties, despite the lifting of COVID restrictions in June, as rents fall, tenant incentives rise and rates Office vacancy was at 20.2%, the worst rate in the Bay Area since 2003, following the dot-com bust.

Read: How Silicon Valley is getting back to work with an optional mask

As part of the reopening process, Salesforce has implemented Work.com to help their offices and customers reopen more safely, including streamlining things like employee schedules, health checks, and face-to-face meetings.

The company has a newly built waterfront office tower in Dublin and Chicago, the structure emphasizes the skyline with the announcement that the office is not dead. It also plans to hold its annual Dreamforce conference Live September 21-23 in San Francisco, New York, Paris and London, although attendees in the US will need to be fully vaccinated.

Schneider said the focus is not only on figuring out what work arrangements are best for employees, but also on how office space is currently being used and will be used five years from now.

From employee surveys, she says between 60% and 70% of Salesforce employees prefer to go to the office one to three days a week.

“We’re on a recruiting mode,” said Schneider, adding that flexibility and quality of the property will be an important part of recruiting and retaining talent.

Read: Office property values ​​could drop by 54% if work from home lasts: Fitch