5 Reasons Why Working in the Office Still Matters
4 minute read
Remember the days of the COVID-19 pandemic when our houses turned into our personal offices and the lines between work and personal life became pretty blurred. Working from home full-time had many benefits including a much shorter commute, more time to focus without the usual distractions in the workplace, and the flexibility to support our families at a moment’s notice. As restrictions started to ease and we were encouraged to return to the office, we were still attracted to our former remote work life and many resented returning. There are however a number of advantages to working from the office for employers and employees alike to bear in mind – whether that’s on a permanent basis or with a mixture of working from home and the office when it suits the individual or company.
1. Improving Collaboration
The working environment is one that thrives on camaraderie and teamwork, especially when working on big projects or you’re part of a group that relies on your specialist skills and knowledge. Whilst Microsoft Teams and Zoom are great when having those virtual conversations, real-life collaboration and connections are much more intuitive and greater at achieving results. It means that we can ask people direct questions instead of sending emails and waiting for a reply or have face-to-face brainstorms and meetings where people can chip in and collaborate in a more efficient way.
2. Reinforcing Company Culture & Collaboration
Every workplace has a company culture that is the lifeblood of its make-up. From its personality, goals, ambitions and employee well-being, there are many characteristics a company identify with that run throughout the entire team. By being in the office and able to bounce ideas off each other, you’re able to reinforce the culture because you all strive for the same outcomes.
3. Keeping Work Separate from Home Life
There’s nothing better sometimes than walking through your front door at home and feeling like you’ve fully switched off from work. There’s a real difference between work and home life, where in the office you’re professional, driven and determined to get through your to-do list or have client meetings without any distractions. Whilst at home you can be more relaxed, have quality time with loved ones and not have constant notifications or emails coming through that can take away this precious time.
During the pandemic, it was a challenge to get the work-life balance right, and our personal lives were adopted due to the circumstances. By being able to have focused time in the office you’re able to decompartmentalise the two versions of you, whilst giving both your utmost attention depending on your work and personal life environment.
4. Quality of the Workplace is Monitored & Ensured
When you walk into any office space you know that you’ll have everything you need at your disposal to get the job done. From the right computer equipment and programmes to printers, high-speed wi-fi, company phones and decent office furniture that won’t give you a bad back. These working conditions are much more efficient than that of your home office which you had to build from scratch when the world changed dramatically and we had to make do and mend with what we had.
5. Being Around People
The biggest advantage of all when working in an office is being around people. As much as we love the company of our family and friends in our personal lives, having those in-person connections have a whole other level at work. You’re alongside like-minded people who share the same interests and passions as you, you can build professional relationships where you can achieve your work goals together, and mentoring becomes easier in the office too.
Having those meaningful conversations and the ability to increase your knowledge and skillset on a one-to-one or group activity basis is much easier and more viable when in the office. Also, there is the social aspect to it as well, such as going to the pub after work or if in times of doubt or challenge you’re able to reach out to trusted colleagues and have discreet conversations that you wouldn’t do over a video call.
It’s easy to see the many benefits of why working in the office still matters. Although the balance between working remotely and in-person gives great flexibility, the workplace will always be a hub for delivering great outcomes, working with a team who are similar-minded, and also not having to worry about the mounting energy bill whilst working from home. At Cobus Spaces we provide premium office fit-outs, refurbishments and interior design that make employers and employees alike thrive in the office. Get in touch to see how we can innovate your workplace.
