Chris Reynolds, who oversees Toyota’s manufacturing and human resources functions, said flexible work-from-home policies allow companies to expand the geographic footprint of their recruiting efforts.
“If we’re now working from home and can do things virtually, do I care if you’re in Plano, TX, or Detroit, Michigan? I can’t, depending on the job, as long as you can travel to Plano periodically to meet with your team,” said Reynolds Automotive News‘ at the height of the pandemic.
For Mitsubishi, workplace flexibility also means looking for talent outside of the automotive sector.
“We have to think of ourselves as a company that innovates,” said Katherine Knight, director of human resources for Mitsubishi North America. “If people start noticing us as being competitive with tech companies [in workplace benefits], they can look at our jobs and realize, “Wait a minute, not all of these jobs require automotive experience.” “
Mitsubishi expects at least 90% of its U.S. employees to be eligible for its work-from-home benefit.
The intention is to provide maximum flexibility, Knight said.
“There may be people who decide to work from home one day a week; when their child has a sick day; [or] work from home in the morning and come to the office in the afternoon,” she said.
Mitsubishi executives are raising concerns about declining productivity with employees distracted by crying babies or the temptation to catch an afternoon baseball game on TV.
“Through the COVID transition, our team of employees has proven that we can both be productive and run a successful business from headquarters or the home office,” Chaffin said.
