Howard Hochhauser, the CEO of the ancestry platform Ancestry, recently shared why he prefers to eat his meal in the office’s eating area. Because it is quite difficult for the leaders to find honest information, while talking to the publication, the CEO revealed that the practice of sharing meals is one of the best ways to get a real sense of what is happening across the company.
Speaking to Fortune , he said that he regularly brings his lunch down to the office break room to eat alongside everyday staff, instead of dining with fellow high-ranking leaders.
“Ace Greenberg, who founded the firm, sat on the floor every day, and it stuck with me. Like, gosh, that’s really a visible statement.
He’s really accessible,” Hochhauser told the media outlet. “You could talk to him; he wasn’t sitting in some glass office that’s untouchable.”
Sharing an example, he revealed that when Ancestry was getting ready to set new guidelines for returning to the office, Hochhauser said he spoke to the employees during lunch breaks and learned that the team members felt comfortable sharing concerns, such as managing family duties, school drop-offs, and kids’ sports schedules.
“People appreciate it, levelling with them and telling them what expectations are,” Hochhauser said as quoted. “And over lunch, people were honest and raised their concerns, but also appreciated the candour.”
