Working from home is really harmful to career development. He said in an interview with Bloomberg that while he doesn’t force his employees to return to the office, he thinks employees who work remotely may face promotion difficulties, especially those who want to take on management positions.
Krishna said, “In the short term, you may have the same productivity, but your career does suffer.” He added that employees who work remotely don’t learn skills they would normally gain in face-to-face interactions, such as handling difficult customers.
Krishna, who has been president of IBM since 2020, has encouraged employees to return to the office three days a week, and Nickle LaMoreaux, IBM’s head of human resources, has said in 2021 that most employees will return to the office on a part-time basis after the outbreak is over. The company said most IBM employees are close to corporate or customer offices and often collaborate face-to-face.
Krishna’s comments come after IBM recently announced plans to slow or suspend hiring for positions that could be replaced by artificial intelligence. A company spokesman previously said the company has not suspended hiring across the board but is being more cautious in its hiring.
