Thread by @rapplerdotcom

#BusinessSense with @RalfRivas: Microsoft Philippines COO Abid Zaidi twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: Hybrid work is inevitable. It is going to stay. Employees are expecting more flexibility from their employers.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: We’re working closely with our stakeholders, our customers, to ensure that there is holistic transition fully supported by technology.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: Productivity has to be looked at in a much broader way. There has to be a certain level of inclusivity there. There has to be better understanding of how people are collaborating now.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: With the new normal, what are the new skills that are needed to be learned? What are some of the skills that we need to unlearn?

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: Well-being is extremely important. A lot of people, especially here in the Philippines, they are expecting more resilience, more flexibility. They are preferring health and well-being over work.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: Employers like Microsoft, we are trying to understand what people really want, in terms of what is it that they need to stay productive, what is it that they are preferring now in a post-pandemic world.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: There are new expectations and that would require a new operating model. If we don’t take timely action, we would see some people shifting to those other employers.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: For example, some people are okay with not commuting because just spending time on the road takes away a lot in terms of time they can spend with their family, friends.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: There is a need for us to adapt to the new normal and this is where the new operating model comes in. And that operating model is built on the expectation from the employees.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi on helping BPOs with their systems during the pandemic: They had to bring in the right set of technologies, but then they had to also ensure the right amount of security surrounding those applications.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi on working with the public sector: For example, the Supreme Court. The judiciary last year institutionalized videconferencing hearings.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi on startups: The right amount of resources and investment are going in. We can do much more to accelerate because there is a huge scope when it comes to fintech, retail, health care, and education.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: In the Philippines, the population is more open toward financial transactions that are done digitally. Fintech, e-commerce, logistics, and health care are the four industries that are seeing great amount of attention.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: We are all set to really accelerate the pace of growth here in the Philippines. When we look at the startup ecosystem, how the industries are transforming, there is a light that we see at the end of the tunnel.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas Microsoft PH’s Zaidi: If we continue to evolve, listen to the employees – what they want – if that is taken care of, we will have steady growth in the months and years to come.

#BusinessSense:

@RalfRivas And that's a wRap! Watch the full interview here: