Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff expects half or more of employees to continue WFH

Marc Benioff, Salesforce CEO said that he expects half or more of his company’s employees to continue working from home after the pandemic.

In an interview, Benioff said 50% to 60% of staffers will likely work from home, up from about 20% before the pandemic hit. Benioff said, “The past is gone. We’ve created a whole new world, a new digital future, and you can see it playing out today.”

Like the broader cloud software industry, Salesforce has powered through the pandemic, as companies became more reliant on tools that enabled their customers and employees to stay productive from remote environments. Salesforce’s revenue last fiscal year climbed 24% to $21.3 billion, keeping expansion roughly in line with its five-year average.

Benioff highlighted some of his company’s projects with government organizations around the world tied directly to the pandemic. He said the company rebuilt New York City’s vaccine management system and contact tracing system and put in similar systems in Japan and in Victoria, Australia.

In downsizing its office needs, Salesforce took $216 million in impairments last year due to “real estate leases in select locations we have decided to exit,” according to its annual report. Salesforce is one of many tech companies in the Bay Area trying to figure out how to make use of space that will no longer be occupied by employees. Others include Dropbox, Uber and Zendesk.

Benioff suggested that space will be used for events, training facilities and as “cultural engagement centers. All of these things together make up the new way to work.”