Back to the Office
With many places taking part in a phased opening, one of the big questions is what kind of workforce will return to the office when the stay-at-home pandemic is all over. For the business whose workforce has been ultra-productive during the pandemic, there probably won’t be as big of a rush to get back to the office, but for businesses that have taken a significant productivity hit, that time can’t come fast enough. It might be a surprise to some business owners that there are some people who don’t like working from home and are ready to get back into the office, but the lion’s share of workers are going to want to have some additional flexibility after working from home for months. Either way, there are some very real benefits to working in the confines of an office.
They include:
Superior Collaboration
Your team’s collaboration was likely still strong as people navigated the workflow from home, but in the office, there is more face-to-face interaction that can produce much better results. Without the in-person peer reviews and conversations, your team is probably leaving something on the table.
Having Balance
One of the major problems that can be immediately noticed by working from home is that once you are done with work, you are in the same space. It may give the person the feeling that they are always working; or, it may actually make them work more. This can cause stress and a lack of focus on the job at hand, not to mention cost overruns.
Focused on Work
This comes down to consistency. Sure, people are known to be just as or more productive working remotely, but some days people will work harder and be more focused than on others. For the business that relies on a consistent effort and level of focus, working at the office can be much more effective across the board.
Other Considerations
As workers contend that working from home doesn’t hinder productivity in the slightest, actually having a remote work staff makes that notion harder to track. If yours functions like other businesses, constantly making decisions with shrinking margins in mind, having a detailed view of the productivity of your staff can help you make strategic decisions.
When your staff works from a central location it also helps you control the security of your IT and your physical workspace. When you have resources sending and receiving files from all over the map, you may find that data security is a little less predictable.
These are hard times for the small business but getting your office back up and running could just be a sign that things are moving in your business’ favor. If you would like help setting up and managing your IT, call the technology experts at Coleman Technologies today at (604) 513-9428.
