The COVID pandemic proved that almost everyone can work from home. Offices have stayed closed for months now and yet work hasn’t come to a stop. Remote working is trendy now and many companies and employees are contemplating its sustainability.
The option has benefits for everyone – lower operational costs for the employers and greater flexibility for the employees. But, working from home does have its challenges. Could it be the reason you lose out on your competitive edge?
Networking becomes harder
When you go out for work, you meet a number of people throughout the day – your colleagues, people from other agencies and offices, fellow commuters and so on. These meetings are important not just for the social exercise they provide but also for networking. Chances are when you were job-hunting, you were introduced to positions by some of these people.
When you work from home, you miss out on this networking. Your social interactions are limited to family, friends and your existing colleagues. You don’t meet people in the lift going to your office, you don’t bump into people in the lobby… Thus, if you’re on the lookout for a new position, you’ll have to rely on networking websites.
You might miss out on company news
There’s a lot you learn about your company and your team through random conversations over lunch or when someone stops by your table. You might consider them distractions but these chance encounters can tell you when a new position opens up that you might be well suited to or when someone else has a project that could use your expertise.
On the other hand, working from home means no distractions to your work atmosphere. The people stopping by your table won’t have any connection to your company and the news they share will probably not have much to do with your career growth.
There’s no external motivation
When your office celebrates an achievement- yours or anyone else’s, you get motivated to work harder. When you see someone getting promoted, you get motivated to work towards such a promotion too. When you’re feeling unproductive and distracted at work, your manager can sense it and help you overcome the hurdles. For people who need external motivation, the work atmosphere is critical to their productivity.
When you’re working remotely, all you have to push you through the day is your to-do list and your ability to push yourself. If you don’t feel particularly driven in the morning, you might not be able to complete your to-do list. The blurred lines dividing your home and work life can also affect your work intensity. Now, you can’t leave your home troubles at home. You work there too!
Also Read: 8 Things Employers Can Do to Increase Employee Productivity
Learning must be self-driven
One of the ways people assess companies is by the effort they make in training and upskilling their employees. If you work in a company that invests in its employees, your workweek would probably be punctuated with workshops and training modules. This helps you stay up to date with your skills, encourages you to learn and helps build a competitive edge. It’s important because after a certain stage, putting yourself in a position to learn can be challenging.
When you’re working from home, everything is in your hands. The company can give you access to virtual classroom links but there’s nobody to ensure that you attend them and learn from them. You might think you’re being smart by multitasking while you’re ‘attending’ a workshop but if you don’t pay attention, you’ll lose out.
In short, when you’re working remotely, any kind of learning has to be self-driven.
Productivity expectations may not always match
The work atmosphere at home and in the office is very different. At the office, you can consider people stopping by your table and meetings as distractions. This can make you believe that working from home, free of these distractions, will let you get a lot more done in the day.
But, it isn’t necessarily so.
You may assume that without any such distractions and since you don’t have to commute you will have more time at your disposal. Thus, you may set high targets for yourself. But, no one can work continuously throughout the day. Instead of short breaks for coffee, you might end up taking longer breaks and thus your productivity may not always match your expectations. Over time, this can lead to complacency and affect your competitive spirit.
Finding a middle path
Getting back to work in a formal atmosphere may have its advantages for your competitive edge but working from home has its advantages too. So, you need to find a middle path. This is where managed offices come in. This hybrid solution offers an ideal work atmosphere that pushes you to work harder while giving you the flexibility to match your work timings to your schedule and reducing your commute time.
If you’re looking for a managed office in Delhi, Noida or Gurgaon, The Office Pass (TOP) may have just the solution you need. These spaces are easy for companies to lease out for short periods. It also permits office spaces to be customized as per the company branding. Interested? Call 8999 828282 to learn more.
