Given the recent economic crisis, some businesses doubt that the pandemic-driven shift to remote and hybrid employment will last. In a Good Hire poll conducted in April, 77 per cent of managers indicated they would think about dismissing workers or reducing their pay if they refused to return to work. In addition, most respondents voiced worries about the perceived lack of concentration, detrimental effects on business culture, and productivity challenges among remote workers.
Oscar Mattsson holds a diverse viewpoint. That's hardly surprising considering that his startup, Allwhere , offers technologies for corporations to employ to enable remote work. Allwhere came out of stealth on the 25th of July, 2022, with $9.5 million in a seed funding round from DESCOvery. According to Mattsson, the company aims to assist businesses in implementing remote work setups, managing the equipment lifecycle from acquisition to disposal, and creating onboarding, engagement, retention, and wellness programmes.
As per Mattsson, the current market is temporary, and the new way of working includes flexibility and an increased focus on employee wellness. He said that teams today have realized that they can work effectively even in a distributed model. Additionally, the strict policy that requires employees to return to work might cost companies their workforce in this recession. However, even after two years of remote and hybrid work, most skilled employees still lack the necessary tools to do their job. This is due to the low budgets of workplaces, which leads to employees putting in more than the required efforts. Hence, companies are forced to outsource their tasks.
Mattson stated that he saw a gap in the market for a solution that could meet the needs of businesses, especially when they were adapting to a new, remote, hybrid and distributed working style. He also shared the inspiration behind the name of the company. He stated that 'Allwhere' is an old English term for 'everywhere'. He added that the name was perfect for the company as it aligns with its mission to support employees who work remotely.
In addition to finding vendors and suppliers, Allwhere provides corporate clients with staff benefits, tools, and equipment. Allwhere offers health programmes, subscriptions, gifts, IT hardware repairs and upgrades, installation and removal of office hardware, furniture, and accessories.
Utilizing customizable kits, HR and IT process integrations, and white-labeled "stores," businesses can create their own using Allwhere. Dashboards let management keep track of budgets, progress updates, and the distribution of resources, including equipment, benefits, and perks. In addition, employees can select the tools, perks, and services they require and obtain tracking data and pick-up and delivery choices for any appropriate equipment when given a connection to the store, as mentioned earlier.
According to Mattsson, Allwhere has assisted clients wanting to onboard new staff with hundreds of laptops and businesses buying merchandise—branded backpacks, T-shirts, and the like—for their first in-person events following the pandemic.
As per Mattsson, businesses sought to increase the value of their IT assets, particularly during the epidemic, even sacrificing worker pleasure. According to a 2020 Nulab survey, a third of employees forced to buy equipment for their jobs out of their pockets were remote workers because of the pandemic. Moreover, as a recession looks likely to develop, there is more pressure than ever to reduce operating expenses.
Although Mattsson declined to give specific names, he claims that Allwhere has clients in North America, Latin America, and Europe that range from startups to large corporations. According to him, the emphasis will be on employing new employees, growing operations, and enhancing the platform's features in the upcoming year.
Lastly, he confirmed that the firm is rapidly growing and has expanded considerably over the past few months.
About Allwhere
Allwhere is a New York-based company that mainly provides remote work solutions. The chief marketing officers for the firm are Ben Kessler and Josh Rosenthal. Both were former employees of WeWork and joined founder Oscar Mattsson in 2021 when Allwhere first started.
Before creating the firm, Mattsson started his career at WeWork, where he was a founding business unit employee before collaborating with partners to extend WeWork into various industries, including daycare, food and beverage mobility, and others. Mattsson claims that despite experiencing WeWork's low moments, he recognized the significance of services supporting flexible employment. This is what led to the origin of Allwhere.
