„Let him sit in the middle of this stupid office.” Microsoft CEO wants everyone to work in open space, not remotely

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Mustafa Suleyman, who leads AI at Microsoft, strongly believes in the benefits of in-person work for team building. As a result, he’s asking his teams to come into the office much more often than other parts of the company. This approach isn’t well-received by many, who feel it’s actually hindering productivity.

Microsoft’s CEO under fire for his opinion on working in open space

Mustafa Suleyman, according to Business Insider, is pushing for employees to come into the office four days a week – more often than Microsoft currently requires. Anyone wanting to work remotely more than that needs to get permission from a senior leader reporting directly to the CEO. Suleyman feels this will improve the company’s performance.

It’s significantly improved teamwork. Everyone can easily see who’s available, creating a lively and energetic atmosphere. This naturally leads to more casual, spontaneous collaboration, and overall, it’s a much more productive environment.

Suleyman takes collaboration so seriously that his employees don’t have typical cubicles. They work at open desks clustered together, encouraging constant interaction and a lively atmosphere.

People online are saying this way of organizing work and the office environment actually hinders teamwork. Beyond direct criticism telling Suleyman Soylu to experience the open office himself, many also questioned the value of even having an office in the first place.

The constant noise you’re hearing is from around thirty people on seven teams making calls – there just aren’t enough quiet spaces like conference rooms or phone booths. It’s frustrating to finally get a couple of minutes to focus, only to be interrupted by someone asking you a quick question just because they see you.

– wheresthe1up

Here’s what that corporate statement really means: They want to monitor you using surveillance cameras powered by artificial intelligence.

If you’ve never held a job in science, technology, engineering, or math, you might describe working in a busy, open-plan office as your experience.

When I was at Microsoft, everyone had a private office, though some of us had to share. I’ve also worked in open-plan offices, and they’re awful. There’s no privacy, it’s always noisy, and it’s hard to concentrate. Management seems to prefer them because it makes it easier to oversee everything. – FaerieQuene

Microsoft is asking employees to return to the office, a plan they announced previously. However, their return-to-office policies are more adaptable than some believe, like Mustafa Suleyman has indicated. It will be interesting to see if the CEO’s approach is successful as we monitor progress in Microsoft’s AI development. For example, the new Copilot feature in Excel initially had trouble with basic spreadsheet functions.

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2025-11-14 15:02