A New Way to Work
While the concept of working at home and remote working has been around for years now since COVID-19 has forced many people to take up this lifestyle, many individuals and businesses alike have been left asking, do they really need to work in an office? It’s an interesting question, and with so much change happening around us, it’s a question that could change the way modern businesses work forever.
If you’re starting your business or you’re trying to redesign the way you work, this is another good question to ask, so to explore this idea, today; we’re going to see whether having an office is a good idea or will be better off without one.
Table of Contents
Think About Communication
One of the biggest things you need to consider is how well communication can be maintained if you’re not working in an office environment. For this, you’ll need to picture your team and how they work. If you’re working in a team and you need to be in close quarters to share information and ideas, as well as documentation, working in an office together, can be a beneficial thing.
However, with the rise of cloud sharing and collaboration tools, such as instant messaging and video conferencing software, you don’t even need to be in the same country to have these same experiences. In many cases, communication is more effective because you’ll be holding meetings for specific reasons, not just distracting one another.
Nailing Down Productivity
There’s a common misconception that remote working doesn’t work because, well, how could it? If people are at home and working, they could have Netflix on in the background, or they aren’t going to get much done because there’s family around. You probably work for a company where at least one manager or team leader thinks like this.
The truth is, however, that this isn’t the case. Countless studies, including Stanford studies that date back as far as 2011., have found that people are far more productive when they work at home compared to when they work in offices. If you want to be more productive, it might be worth thinking about working elsewhere. For tips and advice on remote working, and all other latest business news, check out businesstrex for more.
Social Responsibility
I’m not talking about sustainability here (although people working from is another benefit since they won’t have to commute), but we’re talking about people having social connections with others. This is perhaps the biggest issue working from home since people won’t get out so much, and they can develop loneliness, feelings of isolation, and disconnection.
Of course, this isn’t healthy and can seriously affect people’s mental health and well being. As a manager or remote worker, you need to make sure you’re encouraging yourself and others to get out and spend time with their friends and family, or you’re holding social events, where possible, for your staff to come together and be social.
Security Matters
The final point you’ll want to consider is the security of your business. Let’s say an employee is dealing with some sensitive information for a client on their computer. But they’ve sat in a public cafe with no real security on their company. This information is vulnerable and could cause a huge number of problems. Always try to maximize security as much as possible.
Summary
There are plenty of things to think about when it comes to answering the question. Of whether your business needs an office or not. While there are pros and cons to both sides. It’s clear that the world is heading in the direction where remote working is becoming the new norm.
