The pandemic has rocked our world. I try to look at the glass half full and find the positive things that have happened as a result. The pandemic caused people to work in ways they would have never thought of. Pre-COVID, many companies would never bat an eye at the thought of their staff working remotely. I’m thankful that Ideba has always been a remote working company, which was a selling point for me when I joined almost 7 years ago. The concept of being able to work from anywhere in the world, as long as you have Wi-Fi, was really attractive.
Many companies had to adjust significantly when shifting their model from in-person to remote working, but they made it work. It feels like once that was done and people started getting comfortable working from home, the conversation had already come to getting everyone back into the office. While I do think there are benefits to being in an office for the purpose of collaboration and communication, I also feel like when done right, those are achievable while working remotely. Sure, some people have Zoom fatigue and want to get back into an office to have that in-person interaction, but can’t we have the best of both worlds?
I’m interested to see how companies address this pain point. Are they going to require 100% of workers to come back into a physical office full-time, allow people to work remotely 100% of the time, or offer a hybrid model that combines a bit of both? I personally believe it isn’t one-size-fits-all. There has to be flexibility and compassion when considering the return to office scenario. Companies should be focused on their employees and doing what works best for them so that they can stay healthy and happy. It doesn’t surprise me that during a study conducted in February, 29% of workers surveyed said they value the flexibility and safety of remote work so much they would quit their jobs if employers insist they return to the office.
What do you think about returning to the office post-COVID? Shoot me a note at jennaw@idebamarketing.com. I’d love to hear from you!
-Jenna Whelan, VP of Consulting & Research Services
