WATCH: Telefónica Tech boss Hess on the merits of office-based working

A company ‘loses its soul’ and its competitive edge if its staff work remotely full time, says Telefonica Tech’s UK and Ireland boss Martin Hess

Telefónica Tech boss Martin Hess expects the office to return as the "default" place of work for his staff moving forwards as he outlines the benefits of office-based working in an interview with CRN

Aired during CRN's MSP Transform last month, Hess says that he expects the office to be the "default" place of work for its staff, claiming that going back to office-based working has had a positive impact on morale and has made the business stronger as a result.

Hess claims he was a "lone voice" during the Covid pandemic when he decided to keep offices open after the first lockdown for those that wanted to use it while his peers insisted on closing their doors.

Although he acknowledges that the role of the office and the nature of work has "changed forever" as a result of pandemic, the Telefonica Tech UK and Ireland boss still believes that the physical office space plays an integral role.

"It's critically important that some of your time is spent with the people that you work with," Hess says in the interview, which can be viewed above.

"There are very few jobs that you can do while working remotely all of the time. I think it's important to have a sense of place for a business - that's where the ideas come from, where the energy comes from and where the spark comes from. And I think a company loses its soul over time if it's completely atomised and people work from home all of the time."

"And I do think you lose your competitive edge. That's why we kept our offices open pretty much all of the time after the first lockdown and gave people the opportunity and option to come back to work."

In the interview, Hess also discusses how the businesses' new owner Telefónica Tech will invest in the business and gives his opinion on the health of the industry as it approaches 2022.