A new survey from Founders Forum and Tech Crunch shows us what we more or less expected — a shift in the direction of remote work after COVID passes. Many of the 328 early-stage tech startups (most were pre-seed through Series A) surveyed are taking a cautious approach to re-opening their offices. And 10% say they will close their offices for good.
A few points in the survey jumped out to us.
One is the prevalence of efforts to renegotiate lease terms, with 44% either successfully renegotiating terms or in process of doing so. Another 11% said they canceled direct debit on co-working space. Only 14% said tried and failed to renegotiate lease terms.
As noted, only a small minority said they will close their offices permanently as a result of the crisis and another 10% were fully remote pre-COVID. Yet the survey shows the remote experience has rubbed off on startup founders in a way that points to more workplace flexibility in the future.
For example, when asked if they “need to return to the office”, 53% said no. And 66% said the office is not a business necessity. And when asked what workplace changes will be implemented post-COVID, only 13% said they will return to how they worked before the crisis.
Localogy Companies Lean Hybrid
We asked some companies in the Localogy ecosystem — digital agencies, local media, and SaaS companies — about their post-COVID office plans. There was a mix of responses. Some companies are eager to return to the office. Others are taking more of a wait and see approach. Here are a few examples of what we heard.
Kierston Vaughn, TigerPistol’s SVP of Talent and Engagement, said that the social marketing agency has always been a hybrid office/WFH company. However, it prefers having team members in the office. Right now, the company remains WFH in Austin but has re-opened its Cleveland office.
“We’ll continue with the hybrid model post-COVID while encouraging and supporting people being back in the offices,” she said. “We have always had the approach that our people are adults and should do what works best for them and their situations. We encourage that in-person culture as we feel and see the difference of building a family, engaging in collaboration and all-around engagement feels higher with people working in the offices together.”
SOCi, on the other hand, is taking a wait and see approach on whether or when to re-open its office. The localized social marketing platform was a hybrid of office and WFH before COVID. Sales largely operated remotely, and the rest of the team mostly worked in the Austin, TX, office.
“Our team adjusted to WFH better than expected,” said SOCi CMO Monica Ho. “I feel like the team has been very productive and connected despite the situation.”
For a historical perspective on remote work, check out this infographic from Toptal.
Localogy will have more to say about how COVID will change the workplace in an upcoming White Paper.
