There Really Are Some Benefits of Going Back to the Office

With working from home becoming all but normal, a lot of workers are hoping that their foray into remote work isn’t going to come to an end anytime soon. Business owners who never would have considered letting their staff work from home are now finding that they are saving money and getting comparable (or more) productivity from their staff remotely. We thought we would just remind you that there are benefits to working in a dedicated office. 

Back to the Office

With many places taking part in a phased opening, one of the big questions is what kind of workforce will return to the office when the stay-at-home pandemic is all over. For the business whose workforce has been ultra-productive during the pandemic, there probably won’t be as big of a rush to get back to the office, but for businesses that have taken a significant productivity hit, that time can’t come fast enough. It might be a surprise to some business owners that there are some people who don’t like working from home and are ready to get back into the office, but the lion’s share of workers are going to want to have some additional flexibility after working from home for months. Either way, there are some very real benefits to working in the confines of an office. 

They include:

Superior Collaboration

Your team’s collaboration was likely still strong as people navigated the workflow from home, but in the office, there is more face-to-face interaction that can produce much better results. Without the in-person peer reviews and conversations, your team is probably leaving something on the table. 

Having Balance

One of the major problems that can be immediately noticed by working from home is that once you are done with work, you are in the same space. It may give the person the feeling that they are always working; or, it may actually make them work more. This can cause stress and a lack of focus on the job at hand, not to mention cost overruns. 

Focused on Work

This comes down to consistency. Sure, people are known to be just as or more productive working remotely, but some days people will work harder and be more focused than on others. For the business that relies on a consistent effort and level of focus, working at the office can be much more effective across the board. 

Other Considerations

As workers contend that working from home doesn’t hinder productivity in the slightest, actually having a remote work staff makes that notion harder to track. If yours functions like other businesses, constantly making decisions with shrinking margins in mind, having a detailed view of the productivity of your staff can help you make strategic decisions. 

When your staff works from a central location it also helps you control the security of your IT and your physical workspace. When you have resources sending and receiving files from all over the map, you may find that data security is a little less predictable. 

These are hard times for the small business but getting your office back up and running could just be a sign that things are moving in your business’ favor. If you would like help setting up and managing your IT, call the technology experts at k_Street Consulting, LLC today at (202) 640-2737.