You may have heard the story about Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s edict banning her staffers from working out of the house. The story is developed a number of odd tentacles, but if you focus on Mayer’s main message – that her employees should show up at work – there’s something interesting to talk about.
Mayer is no stranger to technology and the workplace, having been one of the original Google employees (she was #20). And one of her most talked about moves since joining Yahoo is making it mandatory to show up at work.
As Yahoo HR boss Jackie Reses wrote in the internal memo that redefined Yahoo’s policy, “To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side. That is why it is critical that we are all present in our offices.”
Apparently, there was a lot that went into Mayer’s decision – not the least of which was data that may have showed that virtual workers at Yahoo weren’t nearly as productive as their counterparts who actually showed up at the office. As an executive who believes in metrics, that may have factored into her decision that has become a big topic on chat boards all over the web.
But there was also this issue of business culture, and technology be damned. The reality is that workplaces like Yahoo, Google, Apple, and Amazon have been designed to be special places, providing many free and environmental benefits to employees, from daycare to shoe repair to coffee bars to laundry services. These companies have engineered their workplaces to ensure there’s no reason to even go out to lunch because all the food, snacks, energy drinks, and caffeine that anyone could want are available on the premises.
But there is a difference in the quality and fun factor of workplaces. Google, according to The New York Times, is miles ahead of Yahoo. The Google at-work philosophy: “To create the happiest, most productive workplace in the world.”
To create the kind of culture Mayer is going after, the decision to eliminate stay-at-home workers is an interesting one, and it made me wonder about how this might go over in radio.
As someone who spent the first year of my company’s existence working on the dining room table, my experience is that there were more distractions at home than at work. From household chores to taking care of pets, there’s often something going on at home that takes your attention away from your work.
But to entice employees to always work at the company office, the look and feel of the workplace is important. There are still some radio stations that have that internal vibe – where you enjoy being there the moment you walk in the door. Back in the day, radio stations were a great place to hang out – after hours, too.
Too often in recent years, they have become more reminiscent of insurance companies than multi-media centers of creativity and innovation. There are exceptions – Greater Media Detroit has its “hub” (pictured above left) – the center of the station where employees can hang out, and it’s also a great space for live performances, parties, and other gatherings.
Entercom Rochester is housed in an old building on Mill Street downtown, but has a very hi-tech vibe and a very warm congenial atmosphere (pictured at right). You like being there the second you walk through the front door.
Emmis St. Louis converted the old Powerhouse building at Union Station into a vibrant space that creates an internal atmosphere that is befitting a brand like KSHE. It feels like the coolest station in St. Louis.
To keep your employees motivated, engaged, and interested in hanging out at work, you have to create an environment that is worthy of collaboration and fun. And to keep today’s young workforce motivated, that vibe is important, too.
We’re going through some of these same questions at jacAPPS, our mobile app company, where our staff is more like what you’d find at Google than at a traditional broadcasting company. That’s why we’re shopping office space right now to find just the right environment so that our people want to hang out at work, rather than force them to be there.
You can mandate whatever you want. But in today’s workplace, you have to provide more than just a paycheck.
If you’ve got pictures of a great radio space, I’ll post them here.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Solid reasoning in your blog. There is also a certain serendipity of ideas and creativity in an environment where people work side by side that often generates some of the best ideas. Working in an office with an open “News Room” configuration is a great setup for these conscious and unconscious interactions and exchanges.
Thanks, Tommy. As someone who has worked in creative, dynamic environments, you have a great sense for how creativity happens in great work spaces. Thanks for chiming in.
Fred…nice job capturing this. It’s become more and more difficult with broadcast companies consolidated into nice office parks to create those unique and brand unique spaces…but to make creatives feel “at-home” and get the best out of them…it’s worth the extra energies and decision to have more than just straight lines.
Thanks for this.
Jeff, you’ve nailed it. I concur that it brings out the bet in all those right-brainers to be in an environment with a different look, feel, and vibe. Thanks for the contribution.
As a radio host/podcaster/youtuber/voiceover/jokewriter
I work best from home. Most radio is very intimate and usually these days done with one jock. I work in network radio and meet weekly with my bosses in Denver and Seattle from home via Skype.
I love my freedom and feel very fortunate to be able to stay in a medium that I love such as radio and still create and generate revenue through non traditional forms of new media like YouTube, Voice Over and Podcasting. This to me is the future.
If anything comes from this new non home work change with Yahoo I hope they do an update on their messenger app. It’s the only texting app I can use on my phone AND computer. Zero upgrades since 2009.
Thanks for sharing your experience. For someone who is connecting and communicating with people in multiple cities – unlike most people tethered to radio stations – it sounds like you’re using the technology well. Thanks for reading out blog.