‘Incorrect’: Billion dollar proof WFH isn’t dead

Aussie human resources platform Employment Hero, which is valued at over $2 billion, has hit back at claims working from home is dead.

EXCLUSIVE

Working from home is set to stay despite many employers desperate to get their staff back into the office, according to an entreupenuer whose staff work full-time at home.

Heated debate about working from home has kicked off in recent months, with many business mandating staff return to the office, and so even going as far as to link office work to higher pay and bonuses.

But Employment Hero CEO and co-founder Ben Thompson said that rather than being hindered by allowing staff to work from home, Employment Hero’s success is instead due to its 100 per cent remote-first approach to work.

“Our growth has been because we are a remote business, not despite it,” Mr Thompson said.

He said all of Employment Hero’s nearly 1000 employees can “perform 100 per cent of their role remotely”.

The Aussie human resources platform is now valued at more than $2 billion.

Ben Thompson, CEO and co-founder of human resources platform, Employment Hero attributes the rapid growth of the business to its remote-first approach to work. Picture: Supplied.

Since transitioning to a remote model in mid-2019, Employment Hero has seen its revenue increase almost seven-fold and its valuation increase by approximately $1.7 billion, as evidenced by recent fundraising rounds.

Mr Thompson said that despite “recent announcements from high-profile companies such as ANZ and Suncorp about office attendance as a prerequisite for performance ratings and bonuses”, Employment Hero is “proof it is incorrect to assume in-person attendance is the only way to drive performance” in knowledge-based businesses.

“The key to our success has been designing a remote operating structure very deliberately to maximise productivity, development and team bonding.”

He told news.com.au the company uses its own platform to facilitate “performance management, recognition, and engagement activities”, which he says are “super important in a remote environment”.

“Remote work has contributed to our culture, not detracted from it. It has forced us to be intentional in documenting what culture we want to promote.”

“We fund quarterly social get-togethers and an annual team bonding week for the company, where our team is tasked with developing strong working relationships with as many people as possible.”

Natascia Spadavecchia, senior insights manager at Employment Hero, is one worker who benefits from the company's flexible working policy. Picture: Supplied.

One worker to benefit from the company’s remote-first approach is senior insights manager, Natascia Spadavecchia.

“I work from home most of the time, and head to the office maybe once or twice a month for meetings and to connect with colleagues based in Sydney,” Ms Spadavecchia said.

She said that there are “many reasons” working from home suits her personal circumstances.

“I have a school aged son who is neurodiverse and requires hands-on support in the form of doctors and specialist visits, and school meetings,” she said.

She said that a flexible schedule means she can take her 9-year-old son to appointments, meet with the school and help him with his homework, “which wouldn’t be possible” if she wasn’t able to work from home.

She added that working from home has “massively improved” her work-life balance.

“I’m much more productive working from home, and as a result, I have the time to walk my son to school, exercise, and deal with life events without having to take leave or unpaid time off.”

“I’m also involved in my local community and have developed closer relationships with the people and businesses in my area.”

She said that Employment Hero not only supports working from home, but provides a “generous” allowance to enable a proper home office set up, and gives its employees the flexibility to arrange their own working hours, days and weeks.

“At the start of the year, I was able to work from the UK for a whole month while visiting family.”

“Our managers also measure performance based on output, not visibility or online presence.”

Mr Thompson said working remotely allows him to prioritise family and exercise and structure his days in a way that works best for him. Picture: istock

Mr Thompson said among the advantages of being a remote-first business is access to a wider pool of talent including people it may not otherwise be able to employ.

“We can access the best talent around the globe, not just within commuting distance,” he said.

“We’re spread across 19 countries and have amazing members of our team – single parents, caregivers for high-needs family members, people with mobility limitations and people in remote areas.”

He adds that employees have also benefited from cutting commutes and giving up on expensive inner-city living.

“They no longer pay for commuting or inner-city renting, they can purchase a house beyond the inner city and they can finally move closer to ageing parents or the beach location they always thought was a pipe dream.”

“It is not an understatement to say how life-changing this has been for our workforce, and I’m particularly glad I can offer this to them as we weather a cost-of-living crisis.”

Mr Thompson said that on a personal level, he, too, benefits from the remote first structure.

“Typically, I prioritise family, exercise, the news cycle, and meetings in the mornings, and I will do deep work later in the day/evening.”