Apple CEO Tim Cook said during an interview at The Atlantic Festival on Monday that he’s been impressed by some employees remote work and predicted that some new work habits will remain after the pandemic.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
Cook said Apple created products including new Apple Watches and iPads that are launching on time this year, despite the need for most employees to work away from the office due to COVID-19. Cook said he doesn’t believe Apple will “return to the way we were because we’ve found that there are some things that actually work really well virtually.”
Cook said 10% to 15% of Apple employees have gone back to the office and he hopes the majority of staff can return to the company’s new campus in Silicon Valley sometime next year.
The CEO said he goes into the office at different points during the week and he noted that remote work is “not like being together physically.” Working in the office sparks creativity such as during impromptu meetings, he added.
MacDailyNews Take: Too bad Apple didn’t have a remote teleconferencing service ready to go long before COVID-19 hit the world. They’ve had the technological knowhow to do a “Good Zoom” for decades now, based on QuickTime, iMessage, and FaceTime, but alas. That’s a big time opportunity squandered, because Apple brass didn’t see the value of remote work until they were forced to open their eyes.