As HR professionals, it’s in our nature to obsess over our employees’ “work-life balance”. For decades we’ve done whatever it takes to ensure employees are happy and healthy, fulfilled and challenged, heard and seen. So it’s not surprising that this obsession fosters the continued evolution of employee benefits and perks.
In the ‘90s and early ’00s, telecommuting, extended parental leave, and adequate vacation time were created to meet the needs of Gen-X employees. When Millennials joined the workforce, it was assumed that game rooms and beanbags could fulfill their needs; employers quickly learned that it was wellbeing benefits, not Ping-Pong tables, that these younger employees desired. Now, employers and HR teams must address the remote work-life balance needs of their employees.
As we all know, the pandemic pushed a large segment of the global workforce out of the office and into their homes. It forced companies to adopt existing digital collaboration tools like Slack, Zoom and Microsoft Teams to fill the in-person void. Sure, productivity increased, but so did the hours that people worked each day. With longer hours came burnout. Zoom fatigue. Loneliness and isolation. The tools that companies implemented assisted the swift pivot to remote but they were not designed to healthily sustain this new way of working.
We’re building Spot because we believe it’s what the remote workforce needs. Spot’s platform makes remote collaboration efficient and productive. Spot takes the stress out of virtual meetings because it requires voice only and eliminates the need for video — on Spot, you can just talk and build relationships with your coworkers like you’re catching up on the phone. But unlike the phone call, Spot’s platform takes notes. Audio recordings and full transcriptions are available after every conversation. We believe that the physical and mental health benefits of walking should be accessible to all and not hindered by the myth that sitting at a desk all day with your camera on makes for “good” workers. That’s why Spot is mobile-first and thoughtfully designed for walking meetings.
What is “work-life balance” now that work happens where we live? As my own definition of this HR term evolves, I am now obsessed with ensuring my teammates have autonomy, flexibility, and support. I know it’s what they need in this remote environment because it’s what I need too. In a typical day, I spend time with my son, I check in on family, I connect with friends, I exercise, I find moments for joy, I plan for the future. And I lead People Operations at a high-growth, early-stage tech startup with aggressive goals, a global team, and a shared passion for changing the way the world works. Spot can be the solution for the remote work-life balance we seek. By building tools that support healthy collaboration, we are acknowledging that “work” is just one component of our employees’ lives.
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