‘Incorrect’: Billion dollar proof that WFH isn’t dead

Aussie human resources platform Employment Hero, which is valued at over $2bn, has hit back at claims working from home is dead.

Heated debate about working from home has kicked off in recent months, with many businesses mandating staff return to the office, even going as far as to link office work to higher pay and bonuses.

But Employment Hero chief executive and co-founder Ben Thompson said rather than being hindered by allowing staff to work from home, Employment Hero’s success was due to its 100 per cent remote-first approach to work.

“Our growth has been because we are a remote business, not despite it,” Mr Thompson said.

He said all of Employment Hero’s nearly 1000 employees can “perform 100 per cent of their role remotely”.

Since transitioning to a remote model in mid-2019, Employment Hero has seen its revenue increase almost seven-fold and its valuation increase by approximately $1.7bn, as evidenced by recent fundraising rounds.

Mr Thompson said that despite “recent announcements from high-profile companies such as ANZ and Suncorp about office attendance as a prerequisite for performance ratings and bonuses”, Employment Hero is “proof it is incorrect to assume in-person attendance is the only way to drive performance” in knowledge-based businesses.

“The key to our success has been designing a remote operating structure very deliberately to maximise productivity, development and team bonding.”

He said the company uses its own platform to facilitate “performance management, recognition, and engagement activities”, which he says are “super important in a remote environment”.

“We fund quarterly social get-togethers and an annual team bonding week for the company, where our team is tasked with developing strong working relationships with as many people as possible.”