Remote Work Came Suddenly and Is
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SEPTEMBER’ 20 ISSUE #6 Remote work came suddenly and is INTERVIEW here to stay A 2-year digital transformation happened Adoption of teleworking in Latin America within 2 months, says Loredane Feltrin, will be uneven, following economic from Microsoft Latin America disparities, but there is no going back to SOCIETY the previous office life particularly in the Why basic emergency income programs service industry have become even more necessary EDITORIAL Seismic changes on business practices sent ripples beyond workspaces LABS is a business news website about Latin America, focused on economics, business, technology and society. By providing deep s the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the globe, and accurate content about the business practices underwent seismic changes. economic and technological landscape of Latin America, both A Because of their naturally crowded nature, offices in Portuguese and English, we help suddenly became possible contagion spots, and so firms readers understand the region’s asked workers to work remotely. Not all industries and not particularities. all regions adapted easily, but they have been doing their best given the conditions they are presented with. In Latin America, with all its social inequalities, regional MASTHEAD disparities, and infrastructure challenges, adoption of home Thiago Romariz offices will be harder than in Europe and in the United Head of PR and Content at LABS States, for example. But new arrangements are here to [email protected] stay, even if they mean a more flexible workspace, divided between headquarters and individual dens. Fabiane Ziolla Menezes The changes sent ripples beyond office life and organ- Editor-in-Chief of LABS [email protected] izations' physical structures, though. As social distancing became the norm, usage of conferencing and collaboration João Paulo Pimentel tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet has Editor at LABS gone through the roof. So did the consumption of furniture [email protected] and home appliances. Companies like Pingboard, which were not initially focused on connecting people at bay, rede- Anna Lima Content Analyst at LABS signed their businesses to meet new demands. [email protected] Last but not a bit less important, governments had to throw safety nets for those millions of people who could not Isabela Fleischmann do Amaral work remotely, who lost their jobs, or who saw their income Content Analyst at LABS diminish drastically because of the virus. Some kind of basic [email protected] income is sorely needed in Latin America, and adminis- trations must do all they can to balance this necessity with Project Design Lead by Leticia Mulinari economic stability. Cover Illustration by Felipe Mayerle All of these themes are reported on this edition of LABS Collection. The task of covering such all-encompassing subjects was daunting, and we hope you find useful and inspiring information on the next pages. Enjoy! Powered by LABS TEAM 2 Interview: A 2-year digital 04 transition happened in 2 months LOREDANE FELTRIN, DIRECTOR OF MODERN WORKPLACE AT MICROSOFT LATIN AMERICA, TALKS ABOUT SOARING TEAMS USAGE AND FORECASTS FOR THE POST-PANDEMIC Remote work came suddenly and is 08 here to stay ADOPTION OF TELEWORKING IN LATIN AMERICA WILL BE UNEVEN, FOLLOWING ECONOMIC DISPARITIES, BUT THERE IS NO GOING BACK TO THE PREVIOUS OFFICE LIFE 12 In times of remote work, the future of offices will lie on flexibility 18 Remote work is setting new home setups in Brazil 21 Teleworking tools surged 324% since March 23 How Pingboard fosters networking amid the pandemic 26 How recruitment platforms such as Revelo and Gupy are helping HR teams Podcasts are the sound of the future 29 THE BRAZILIAN JOURNALIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF AMPÉRE, ALEXANDRE MARON, EXPLAINS WHY ON-DEMAND SOUND ENTERTAINMENT IS HERE TO STAY Why basic emergency income is so 33 necessary in Latin America EXPERTS DISCUSS WHETHER GOVERNMENTS SHOULD CUT SPENDING IN OTHER AREAS AND EXPAND SUCH PROGRAMS AFTER COVID-19 Culture on the spotlight 37 TIPS ON LATIN AMERICA'S MUSIC, CINEMA, AND LITERATURE LABS COLLECTIONS THE FUTURE OF WORK IN LATIN AMERICA 3 INTERVIEW A 2-year digital transformation happened within 2 months, says Microsoft executive Loredane Feltrin, director of Modern Workplace at Microsoft Latin America, talked to LABS about the soaring Teams usage, the support offered by Microsoft so clients could adapt to fast digitization and forecasts for the post-pandemic scenario BY JOÃO PAULO PIMENTEL ocial distancing has given a boost to digital tools S for remote work, and this increase allowed new behavioral data to be analyzed. Microsoft, for example, saw the usage of videoconferencing on its Teams platform grow by 1,000% in just one month. In Mexico and Chile, over 40% of the time spent on calls are on video. There was also a spike in productivity and extended working hours – Team's chat feature is being used three times more frequently on weekends. But it was not just that. Empathy and gratitude among coworkers have also grown. LABS talked to Loredane Feltrin, director of Modern Workplace at Microsoft Latin America, on topics about the new scenario and trends that the company sees for the world of work in the post-pandemic. Loredane Feltrin, director of Modern Workplace at Microsoft Latin America. Photo: Microsoft/Courtesy. 4 LABS COLLECTIONS THE FUTURE OF WORK IN LATIN AMERICA LABS What did Microsoft realize early in the LABS Based on that, did Microsoft make any pandemic, based on the usage of remote work adjustments? tools? FELTRIN We introduced several product features. LOREDANE FELTRIN In one way or another, Covid One of them is Teams "Together Mode", which ended up democratizing technology. Suddenly, distributes meeting participants around a virtual everyone had to work remotely. We had corporate table or in school desks. We have done brainwave clients coming to Microsoft and asking, "What research and this feature significantly lowered do I do with my office space? Should I close it?" stress levels. People feel more connected. It's not Within two months, we saw two years of digital just video conferencing, but how to make the transformation taking place. Those who were experience as human and natural as possible for reticent about digitization saw that there was no users who are 100% of the time looking at a screen. other way to go. LABS Is infrastructure still a barrier to using LABS Have companies adapted after the tools like video in the region? sudden digital migration? FELTRIN It is something that can be inferred and FELTRIN People are getting used to it. For that makes sense, but there are cultural aspects example, in a survey we made, 70% of respondents that influence it too. In France, for example, 37% said they expect to keep working remotely, even of meetings use video. In Singapore, with a very if partially, after the pandemic. Among managers, strong infrastructure, only 26%. Cultural aspect 82% enjoy having more flexibility. Some things will always be relevant in how much people want after the pandemic will change, but for others there to expose themselves, and infrastructure is also an is no doubt that we have evolved to a more digital issue, but we don't have data on it. Also, only 5% of world. users, globally, live alone, that is, the vast majority has to share broadband connections. LABS A recent study by Microsoft showed that Mexicans found it more difficult than LABS What trends do you see for the post- Europeans, for example, to arrange home pandemic workplace? office and domestic activities. What other FELTRIN What we see in surveys is that there is observations can be made in the region? a desire for personal encounters, even with the FELTRIN The fact that everything switched online possibility of continuing to work from home. made people turn on the video more often. In Balancing personal life and work has never been Mexico, 41% of the time spent on calls people use easy, in the pandemic it got more difficult. People video; in Chile, 52% – lower rates than in Norway suffer interruptions, in addition, home broadband and the Netherlands, for example, where it reaches fails, the environment is not always the most 60%. The frequency with which people are using appropriate, an ergonomic chair is lacking, another their web camera in work calls and meetings is monitor could be welcome and so on. There are twice as high as before quarantines. The total companies that help employees improve the number of video calls at Microsoft Teams grew by experience in their own home offices, and many over 1,000% in the month of March alone. people want more time to concentrate. LABS Maybe people turn on the video as a way LABS Have corporate clients asked Microsoft to reduce isolation feelings? for help with the purpose of improving home FELTRIN Video is an important way to connect office experiences? people, so that they can see the reaction of others. FELTRIN Yes, many of them. Imagine a company Part of Microsoft's job is to make this relationship that had a 100% physical workplace migrating lighter. There is a very high level of stress online. It was very interesting to observe, for associated with working online. It demands fixed example, government cases. We helped some attention on the screen, understanding data that public administrations in the region to work is being shared and it makes it difficult to observe remotely, with a quick transition. We came up with everyone's reaction, especially in bigger meetings. guidelines for governments and citizens on how The level of tiredness of online work using video is to act in this new scenario, including step by step very high.