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Ah, the work from home (WFH) conundrum. It’s been popularly embraced by a wide swath of the working population whose careers and job tasks enable them to do their jobs remotely, whatever that might look like.
Notably, companies are reducing their office footprints, cutting back on real estate costs as a response to the WFH phenomenon. At the same time, managers are dissatisfied with this development, wishing people were back in the office like the old (i.e., pre-Covid) days. What’s more? Working remotely might be an obstacle to career advancement for those who rarely go into their workplace.
So, which is it? Is WFH a temporary blip in business history? Is it here to stay? Or will hybrid arrangements—in the office two or three days a week, for example—be the long-term solution?
What workers want
A recent survey by Jobera, a recruitment and placement firm that specializes in remote work jobs, revealed some interesting tidbits on why WFH appeals to so many people. The findings from quizzing three thousand people currently in WFH positions found:
- If forced to return to a traditional in-office work structure, 25 percent would rather quit or change jobs on that basis alone.
- Doing laundry—perhaps with that conference call on mute or the Zoom video disabled—is something 54.7 percent admit doing. About 16.4 percent acknowledge they’re full-on cleaning the house during the workday, while another 15 percent admit to dishwashing. Plus, almost 14 percent say they mow the lawn while on company time (an antiquated term, it seems).
- Having a private bathroom was a total game changer for 19 percent of survey respondents (more than a third said it’s about bad toilet paper at the office, and a fifth want to keep their bathroom sounds to themselves, not shared with Susan from accounts payable).
- Being close to household pets all day was a major factor for 8.9 percent of survey respondents.
- Among the women surveyed, 11.4 percent said working from home during menstrual periods is a strong preference, citing physical pain and privacy as key reasons.
What managers want—and how to manage themselves?
All of this seems plausible and, to some extent, justified. But how does it sit with employers, who might feel they shouldn’t aid their employees in housekeeping or cater to their bathroom preferences?
“It’s generally recognized by most employers that employees working from home do not dedicate all eight hours exclusively to work-related tasks,” says Martin Potocki, CEO and cofounder of Jobera. “In fact, a similar trend is observed in office settings, where individuals also spend their time in ways not directly related to their work, albeit differently than they might at home.
“The rise in remote work has somewhat shifted our perspective on work among both employees and employers,” Potocki continues. “The focus is increasingly on the outcome of work rather than the time it takes to achieve it.” Most employers will overlook the fact that employees spend some working hours walking the dog or doing laundry as long as their work meets expectations.
And yet, that same Jobera survey found that 90 percent of bosses say they will push for more in-office attendance, which suggests there is a distinct difference between what the boss wants and what workers wish for.
“The changes [younger workers] want are good for all of us.”
Dr. Scott De Long, Author, Podcaster, and Entrepreneur
Considering how the bulk of people in upper management tend to be older than those who report to them, there may well be a generational divide on this issue. Dr. Scott De Long, a serial entrepreneur, podcast host (The CEO Podcast), and author (I Thought I Was a Leader…A Journey to Building Trust, Leading Teams & Inspiring Change) thinks that’s a big part of this.
“There are generational jealousies of these kids and their different perspectives,” De Long says. “But the changes [younger workers] want are good for all of us.”
De Long explores this in how supervisors and their direct reports communicate with each other, a much-discussed topic in comparing the traditional workplaces of the past with the WFH set up. His position is that the methods and place of communicating something has a hierarchy; the greater the chance there is for a difference of opinions (i.e., a chance for conflict), the higher the level of communication should be.
For example, a low-conflict topic might be best handled with a short message. Something more important can be in an email, moving up to phone calls, then a video chat, and ultimately a face-to-face conversation if it’s truly critical.
“Make this part of new employee orientation,” De Long posits. “These styles of communication are something newer workers need to learn. The idea is not to teach them our [older generation] work ethic, but rather that a lot of problems can be solved when we can communicate effectively with each other.”
De Long further explains that the current low-employment rate adds pressure on managers to adapt to the interests and needs of younger employees—something that could change if and when unemployment rates tick up again.
Career ascendance and the role of real estate
Current research also shows the person who comes into the physical office has a longer-range advantage for career advancement. The reasons cited? Better collaboration skills get developed that way, and mentoring relationships are more effective when developed in person.
De Long advises people to not mask themselves in video calls and instead use those face-to-face meetings, when necessary, to have honest conversations. “When I’m in the same room with you I can read your soul,” he says.
Put in simple terms, some employers are favoring job candidates who show a willingness to come into the office. “I had a client tell me this week he’d rather have someone that’s a seven out of ten who wants to come into the office for that direct mentorship versus someone who is a nine-and-a-half out of ten on paper but wants remote,” Adam Kail, founder of Harris Gray Search, told Bloomberg News.
All that said, local business media (e.g., Crain’s Chicago Business) report weekly about companies shrinking their office space rather than paying for empty cubicles—and commercial office landlords are taking the brunt of that. That suggests an acceptance of WFH for the long run as a means to appease employees, reduce overhead, and train managers on new methods for managing and growing employees who work off-site most or all of the time.
