With the outbreak of COVID-19, we have seen a considerable shift in the way people are working. With many businesses selling their offices and going fully remote, working from home is the new norm. It has allowed companies to save money, provide their employees with flexibility, and strive for a healthy balance between home and work.
There has been a lot of discussion around the positives and negatives of home working. While some believe it to be a way forward for the better, others aren’t so sure. This article looks at some of the main differences between home working and office working, considering the pros and cons of each.
Your Environment
A huge difference between home working versus the office is your working environment. In the office, you’re often tied to a desk, close to others. Companies like Rapid Office Furniture Essex can equip offices with smart design and office furniture. Still, for home working, we can enlist the same companies to create smart spaces at home with more scope for personalisation and comfort. When we work from home, we can prioritise our comfort for optimal productivity.
Communication
Whether you see the difference in communicating as a positive or negative may depend on your personality type. If you’re more extroverted and outgoing, you may find home working more isolating and miss the social side of working with others in an office. However, if you’re more introverted, you may enjoy working in your own space at home. Either way, business operations aren’t necessarily affected by the differences in communication. Instead, it’s rather the wellbeings of employees that are affected. Arguably, office environments encourage stronger working relationships and allow teams to build rapport with one another. To improve this side of communication in-home working, many companies have hosted socials online which take advantage of video calls to encourage community among their employees.
A newfound freedom
The main advantage of home working is that you can work remotely from anywhere you wish. The power of the internet means you could be working on a beach in your bikini rather than sitting in a stuffy office. This gives employees a sense of freedom to change their working environment to promote productivity or suit their personality where they feel necessary. For example, the more extroverted employees may choose to work remotely in cafes or co-working spaces surrounded by people. It can also make a difference to people’s relationships with family and friends by limiting the distance between employees and their loved ones.
Expenses
One of the main benefits of home working is not having to commute. This time can be used for creating healthy morning routines and spending more time with family instead. Consequently, this has had a positive impact on employees’ wellbeing. Plus, it has saved many people money as they’ve not had to spend as much on travel, especially those who normally rely on public transport.
Expand Talent
Another benefit of home working is businesses can recruit from larger talent pools since one’s location is no longer a significant factor in their ability to do the job. Recruiters can consider dedicated and passionate candidates who may not be able to move to advance their careers. For job seekers, it means there are far more opportunities to consider.
Image Credits: Surface
Like this article? Share with your friends!