Microsoft's AI CEO explains why he wants employees in the office, working at open desks

"I very much believe in the in-person working culture,"

"We've been defragmenting our culture and trying to concentrate."

"Everyone can see everyone else who's in. You can feel the buzz, like there's a real intensity about the place, and it just creates a lot more, like informal collaboration. It's so much better."

Mustafa Suleyman requires employees on his Microsoft AI team who live near an office to work at least four days per week, exceeding the company's three-day return-to-office mandate. Exceptions to the four-day requirement must be approved by an executive who reports directly to Suleyman. Suleyman favors open-plan office layouts and has configured "neighborhoods" of 20 to 30 closely placed desks to increase visibility and informal collaboration. He says close seating produces a buzz and intensity that fosters more collaboration. The stricter in-person policy and preference for open offices contrast with broader engineering preferences and have been polarizing internally.

Read at Business Insider