'Why Shouldn’t We Give Our People Flexibility?': Spotify CHRO On Work-From-Anywhere Policy

Spotify has also partnered with the Stockholm School of Economics to research the impact of virtual work on collaboration and innovation, according to Raconteur

Berg explained that the company understands the importance of face-to-face interactions and believes that fostering collaboration is key

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Spotify’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Katarina Berg has stood by its work-from-anywhere policy even though major global companies like Amazon, Apple, and JPMorgan bring their employees back to the office, ending the hybrid work model that became common during the pandemic. The HR head of the world's largest music streaming service stressed that the company trusts its employees, referring to them as "grownups" who deserve "flexibility and freedom."

"You can’t spend a lot of time hiring grownups and then treat them like children," Spotify’s CHRO told Raconteur. "We are a business that’s been digital from birth, so why shouldn’t we give our people flexibility and freedom? Work is not a place you come to, it’s something you do."

Berg acknowledged that some companies are returning to office mandates because according to her they are going back to what they know, but she sees no reason to impose the same on Spotify’s employees. She pointed out that productivity and efficiency have not been affected by the company's flexible working policy.

Spotify has also partnered with the Stockholm School of Economics to research the impact of virtual work on collaboration and innovation, according to Raconteur.

“It is harder and we all struggle to collaborate in a virtual environment. But does that mean that we will start forcing people to come into the office as soon as there is a trend for it? No,” Berg told the publication.

Spotify, however, has chosen to retain its office space despite embracing a flexible work-from-anywhere model. The company encourages its employees to meet in person once a year during a designated time known as "core week." During this week, each team is expected to come together physically to collaborate, discuss strategies, and strengthen their teamwork.

Berg explained that the company understands the importance of face-to-face interactions and believes that fostering collaboration is key.

She added that people who work at Spotify tend to love music. She also said that at Spotify, they try to find things that make people want to come into the office rather than forcing them to. In this way, Spotify strikes a balance between flexibility and maintaining meaningful connections within the company.