The Great WFH Debate
Eric Rogers
Recruiter for the Global Hotel Technology vertical - Hotels and their Supplier community
As someone who has spent most of my working life working remotely - whether from home or on the road, I want to throw my tuppence worth (English expression) into this debate.
Whilst I love working from home - no commute, a more balanced work/home life, I am acutely aware that this works for me as I am in sales, and (Pre-Covid), I got to see my prospects and clients with regular trips away, so human interaction was there.
When I started my work life, I had an office to go to. That meant connecting with my colleagues, having social interaction and guidance from people helping me transition into the new role.
My concern is for the generation starting work now, and the ones to follow. Their experience risks being very different whereby they will have a job, but no personal connection, no learning how to get on with diverse groups of people, no watching and understanding how others will interact, not just with you, but with each other, in a workplace environment. Connecting only on Zoom misses the micro-indicators that we cant see, but still process subconsciously, understanding how we feel about each other is much tougher when we spend no time together.
Lastly, if jobs will be WFH, will business look for experience in the workplace, will that make it tougher to find a job, will those of us with lower incomes and smaller or crowded accommodation lose out? Will it make it tougher to succeed when guidance is all via Zoom? The loss of the coffee breaks, lunchtime chats, Cigarette chats (for some).......when we talked about the challenges, sounded off about our bosses, and gleaned pearls of wisdom from our more experienced colleagues about how to make it work, how do we do it now?
I don't have the answer, but it is a discussion that needs to take place.
Keystep Solutions. Electronic RFID Locks and Digital Key for Hospitality.
4 年I really miss meetings and catching up with customers and suppliers. I think you need that physical interaction to come up with new ideas and problem solve. Don’t miss the traffic though!
Managing Director @ FourteenIP Communications Ltd | Global Carrier & provider of cloud based voice, data and AI solutions to the global hospitality industry.
4 年Good article Eric, adding my own Tuppence I think as soon as it’s possible the vast bulk of people will be back together, in the office or in other locations if fixed offices are gone and replaced with flexible offices or meeting locations (cue hotels). Productivity for the home worker suits a certain type of person, far from everyone. Flexibility will increase for sure, how can it not, and that may very well be a good thing for all.