Your Boss Is Not Wrong, Go Back to The Office
Working from home isn't working anymore
“Not being able to get together in person is a pure negative.” — Reed Hastings
After allowing their employees to work from home for the last year, CEOs are asking their employees to show up to the office after Labor Day.
Many CEOs have one message to their employees: Enough.
Jonathan Wasserstrum, the CEO of SquareFoot, told his staff. "I believe work is better when most people are in the office most of the time together."
Are CEOs making the right decision by asking employees to return to the office?
Let's explore the answer to this question.
The Office As a Battlefield
For the last ten years, working-from-home advocates have done a great job painting working from the office as a pain to employees and a pleasure to employers. So, employees became resistant to the idea of going to the office.
The problem with the war against the office is that it projects the office as a battlefield between the employers and the employees. When employees view the office as a war zone, it is natural for employees to resist the idea of showing up to work,
So, employers have a tough job convincing employees to return to the office, and I think you can gain a competitive advantage over your coworkers if you decide to show up to the office more often.
It Is Not About Productivity
Most people defend working from home with one statement, "I can be more productive at home." What if working from the office was about something other than productivity?
Stop using an economic formula to solve the office vs. home problem. It is a sociological issue and not a purely economic issue.
The office provides you with a safe place where you can socialize with your coworkers. I know you can do that virtually, but it is a lot harder to be vulnerable when you haven't met people face to face.
Going to the office gives you a needed mental break from your daily routine. According to psychologist Ramani Durvasula, working from home can negatively impact your relationship with your family, so step out of the house and head to your office.
Dr. Durvasula added the term "the sweatpants paradox" to warn employees about the disadvantages of working remotely. She explains that working from home gives you the benefit of wearing anything, but not dressing up and going to the office impacts your self-esteem and dulls your sex life.
Now that I have your full attention, stop looking at going to the office as a benefit to your employer. It has profound sociological and psychological benefits for you as well.
Young Employees Lose The Most
I established my professional credibility and earned my colleagues' respect by connecting with them face-to-face.
Had I worked remotely 100 % of the time, I would have lost the 1000s of network lunches I attended in the last 15 years and the benefit of exchanging small talks with my coworkers around the water cooler.
David Solomon, Goldman Sachs chief executive officer, realizes this hidden benefit of going to the office, "I don't want another class of young people arriving [remotely] that aren't getting more direct contact, direct apprenticeship, direct mentorship."
As a young employee, you need as much mentorship and apprenticeship as possible. Go to the office.
Employers Can't Reward What They Can't See.
When it comes to your value to the marketplace, you have to be visible. If you think visibility is not important, ask Kim Kardashian.
We know from research that working from home increases productivity by 13 percent, but we also know that this increased productivity isn't always rewarded. You have to be visible to your supervisors and your customers.
Going to the office helps young employees to be seen and recognized. In addition, it allows them to interact with their supervisors, which improves their chances of moving up and earning more money.
More Hidden Benefits of the Office
Employers must frame working at the office as a huge benefit to their team.
Art Markman mentions three benefits that can help employees come to the office: culture, collaboration, and purpose.
- It is hard for new employees to learn the culture of their companies remotely. Moreover, it deprives young employees of interacting and learning from more experienced staff.
- Collaboration is not only about getting things done. It is about transferring knowledge from one employee to another. When people work remotely, the focus becomes on getting the job done and not sharing knowledge.
- Going to the office reinforces the sense of belonging to your team and makes your job more enjoyable.
You need to stop looking at your job as a paycheck. Your job serves a bigger purpose, and it has a symbolic value. It connects you with the world and exposes you to different people with different backgrounds.
How Employers Can Approach Working Remotely Issue
If employees are companies' most significant assets, inflexibility won't create a loyal workforce.
Forcing people to work full-time from an office is a recipe for disaster, and it will create a pool of unhappy employees. Employers have to create a hybrid approach to attract and retain great employees.
1. Design an intentional work-from-home policy
If human resources departments want to become relevant again, they must promote work from anywhere to their CEOs as a competitive advantage.
It helps companies recruit better talent, retain good employees, and promote the most productive ones.
2. Help employees to be more productive at home
Train employees to work from home by providing them with tools and resources to do the job remotely.
3. Ask employees to designate a specific workstation
It is easy to get distracted and get too comfortable at home. Ask employees to select a place in their homes to stay as productive as possible.
4. Choose two days when everyone shows up at the office
Ask employees to show up at the office at least two days per week to connect with their coworkers and learn about your organization's culture.
5. Be clear about your performance metrics
Clarify performance metrics. For example, how many hours should they work? Discuss quality, quantity, and deadlines very often.
6. Assign a mentor for every new employee
Every young or new person in the organization should work closely with someone else with more experience to help them learn about your culture.
7. Have daily huddles and weekly meetings with your team
Start each day with five-minute huddles where people update their coworkers about what they are working on. Once a week, meet with your team and provide an opportunity for everyone to give an update on their projects.
This approach will help you work from home productively and help your organization be more efficient and productive. The bottom line is to stop resisting the idea of going to the office.
Your boss is not wrong. Go back to the office and earn more money.
