Different environments suit different personality types, which doesn’t help much if you’re currently deciding whether to plump for remote, hybrid, or office-based working. There’s a lot to consider!
Some people are naturally outgoing, thriving off noise and human interaction, others find noise-filled environments extremely distracting, preferring to focus on their work with no disturbances.
And let’s not assume that working from home is always a peaceful environment – what about family, flatmates, pets, and constant deliveries? And are all offices interactive and chatty?
No, the reality is that most people and most office environments sit within the moderate gradients of these examples – which somewhat complicates your decision. But to help you navigate these murky waters, we’ll share some of the arguments for each, starting with the benefits of remote working.
1) Remote working is best for productive work
Agencies, arguably more than any other industry, are focused on productive work. Every hour spent is recorded and preferably spent on project work to stop projects from running over. So one of your first ports of call in this decision is to ask, “where is my team most productive?”
In year one of the pandemic, Hubstaff reported that 65% of workers say they feel more productive when not in the office. They put this down to uninterrupted time to focus and deep dive into their work. In contrast, only 9% of office workers say they are as productive in the office. So it seems apparent that for many, remote working works!
2) You can secure the best new talent
We’ve just lived through ‘the mass resignation.’ Looking at surveys and reports, but also just talking to friends and family, it’s clear that the pandemic has encouraged a time of reflection and a can-do attitude. Whilst a lovely thing, this has caused the job market to go a bit bonkers which isn’t ideal for agencies, who often struggle to recruit the talent required.
Of course, remote working, and to a lesser extent hybrid working, breaks geographical barriers and dramatically widens the pool of prospective employees. Simultaneously the pool of people inclined to work in the office five days a week has shrunk. People are less willing to commute, and skilled employees know they’re in demand, so they will find remote work if they want it. Not only will they save on an increasingly expensive commute, but they could be on a London salary in Leicester.
So there you have the positives of remote working, now what about the office?
1) Is remote working honestly more productive than the office?
Above, we’ve highlighted research showing that remote working is more productive than the office. But for a complete picture, we should highlight that the data supporting this is largely from the first year of the pandemic. When looking to the future of remote working, McKinsey & Company suggests that after extended remote working, employees may start to feel anxious and burned out, rendering the early productivity gains may be unsustainable.
2) The office helps you feel like a team
Part of what sets each agency apart is culture. When working remotely, it’s hard for new recruits to embed themselves in this culture as quickly or completely.
There’s also more room for misunderstandings. Maybe everyone in the office knows that Bob’s a great guy who’s a bit abrupt on email. If a newbie isn’t familiar with office quirks and personality types, it’d be easy to feel anxious or unliked. There’s growing evidence that remote working can create less personable relationships and a lack of confidence.
3) Remote working can promote confusion and a lack of visibility
No matter how organised and communicative you and your team are, you can’t run your agency without a suitable system. Working from disparate tools and spreadsheets with a remote team is a recipe for disaster. Just thinking about all that confusion, lack of clarity, and complication can bring on a headache.
However, the right system can be transformative. If you’re confident that everyone in your agency has visibility on work, priorities, timescales, and financials. Then you can be assured you have the facts needed to steer your projects towards a profitable conclusion.
So now you’ve read the pros and cons, they both make sense so hybrid working is the answer, right?
In a situation where there are valid points on either side, meeting in the middle seems like a fair option. In this scenario, I bring you hybrid working, but is it that simple? Is hybrid working the best of both worlds, or is it beige – the product of compromise and a desire to keep your options open rather than a conscious choice over what’s right for your agency?
There’s a growing argument that hybrid working is not quite right. People are starting to assume that ‘hybrid’ really means ‘office’ but it’s a softer lead-in. The further we stray from the pandemic, the more three days from home will become two, then one. Employees want to be told the deal in black and white, and they’ll turn down a hybrid role out of fear that it could become office-based. There isn’t this same fear if you’re 100% remote and based in a different city, or even country, to the office.
So with rapidly rising commuting costs and the environmental impact of travel that may feel unnecessary, little more than physical proof that you’re working, is hybrid the solution or the compromise?
In Summary
There is no black-and-white answer to this question, as you’ve probably guessed by the extremes you see in the comments whenever remote working is mentioned. There are so many factors to consider that it’s less about what is right and more about what’s right for your agency.
But one thing is clear. You need the right system to support you no matter where your team work. Synergist is the complete agency management system, bringing together people, projects, and financials in one singular view. If you want to find out more about all the features that enable smooth working from home, the office, or with a hybrid model, check out our website. We have a specific remote working page, but all the benefits are the same no matter how you choose to work.