December 28, 2022
In Blog
Distributed working… in out, in out, shake it all about
It’s hard to know what the new way of working is and it can feel a bit like the Hokey Cokey at times. One minute we’re all in an office then in a flash we’re in a pandemic and we’re all out, then we’re neither half way in nor half way out (although that’s a different tune ~ rhyme – altogether!).
What is clear is remote working serves for a multitude of different working environments and the home being one is in itself many different things to many different people – from bedroom to home office and from a tranquil to chaotic, or even unsafe, environment.
Recent survey in the US
In a recently published survey by Gensler in the US, it turns out that above all, employees want a place to get their work done efficiently. The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. office employees, found that the top reason workers reported choosing to come to the office is to focus on work – a major shift from the previous emphasis on socializing and in-person meetings.
Some opinions are that this is a result pressure overloaded workers feel to prove themselves in these uncertain times (aka Elon Musk directive to Tesla staff in mid 2022), while others believe it reflects a desire for a life before the pandemic. It might just be that remote working isn’t the best place to effectively get work done. During the move to a more distributed workforce model many companies have wondered how they ensure productivity, how do they measure it and even can they manage it?
Productivity vs subjectivity
One things for sure if managers are wondering how productive staff are being when remote working, then conscientious staff will be wondering the same. It’s a huge plus when working to have the flexibility, the short commute, and more time “at home” but getting work done is still the measure of success at work and ultimately the foundation for a healthy work-life balance.
This dance isn’t likely to be over anytime soon, so the most useful advice may be to choose your dance partner wisely as you’ll need faith in their ability to get the best out of you and vice versa.