DocuSign released a report Wednesday highlighting the benefits of remote work — which caught our attention given that the company is forcing employees back to the office.
The 30-page report found that more than three-quarters of the business executives polled agree that the flexibility to work at any time and from any location has boosted productivity.
The research — commissioned by DocuSign and conducted by the research firm Economist Impact — is based off a survey of more than 760 business executives and 2,800 consumers in 10 countries.
About two-thirds of executives believe remote work and increased digitalization have helped diversify the workforce, broadening the talent pools for companies to expand their DEI initiatives, the report found.
“We’re heartened by the survey results, showing that so many executives and consumers share our excitement about the possibilities that the anywhere economy presents,” DocuSign CEO Allan Thygesen wrote in the report.
In a foreword included in the report, Thygesen said: “The anywhere economy is giving people greater flexibility in how, when and where they work. This is boosting diversity and inclusion, and creating new economic opportunities for people who previously have been marginalized, including those in rural areas and developing economies.”
DocuSign is asking some of its workers to report to in-person work, part of a “phased” return strategy starting June 5, GeekWire reported Tuesday.
GeekWire reached out to DocuSign for comment on the report and we’ll update this story when we hear back.
DocuSign is joining a growing number of tech firms mandating in-person work.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy asked corporate and tech employees to return to the office at least three days per week, starting this month. The Seattle-based tech giant previously said in October 2021 that it was leaving back-to-office decisions up to individual team leaders.
Redfin, the tech-focused Seattle-based real estate brokerage, said last week it was changing course on its own policy and will now require workers in the office two days a week. Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman said he initially embraced remote work but changed his mind after experiencing the benefits of in-person work himself.
Companies like Disney, Starbucks, and Apple are requiring workers to come in three or four times per week.
DocuSign, which went public in 2018, has made several attempts to summon its employees back to the office. Those plans were slowed by a number of pandemic-related setbacks.
But now employees designated as “Hybrid” have been asked to come into the office at least twice per week, based on individual job functions and locations.
DocuSign, launched two decades ago out of Seattle, relocated its headquarters to San Francisco. The company still maintains a sizable workforce in Washington state, with an office in downtown Seattle at 999 Third Ave.
Read the full report below:
