Skift Take
On the frontline of a global-local motion, software company Zoho’s rural revitalization idea could capture on.
Matthew Parsons, Skift
Worker at company software business Zoho can literally take pleasure in the fruits of their labor when they show up to work at its head office in Austin, Texas. That’s because it changed the 360-acre site into a farm at the start of the pandemic. While not every company has the luxury of getting back to nature in such a way, Zoho’s actions might mark the start of a broader push far from cities as remote work takes hold. Zoho was established in India by Sridhar Vembu, and expanded by developing satellite offices in rural areas. The 25-year-old business is bringing the principle to the rest of the world, with workplaces in the U.S., France, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Colombia. The UK, Ireland and Italy follow quickly. “Towns, great connection, excellent skill. That’s our method,” Raju Vegesna Zoho’s primary evangelist, told Skift. Sign Up With Us at Skift Global Online Forum in New York City September 21-23 The development of the farm was a first for the business, and occurred naturally, as people wanted more area throughout the pandemic. It’s stopped hiring there, but is wanting to broaden at 3 smaller offices throughout Texas. Rural Revival Zoho’s company culture is really more of a philosophy. In India it brought internet connectivity to rural regions, training locals, who in turn ended up being loyal workers. With remote work taking hold globally, Vegesna believe