I miss the office.
I’ve spent the past 18 years as an Executive Recruiter. During that time I’ve seen a lot of changes. When I started there was no such thing as LinkedIn; everyone had stacks of paper on their desk; and successful people in the Industry would make at least 20-30 cold calls a day (I was a Pro at getting through the dreaded Reception / Gatekeeper).
Things are obviously very different today. We now have a variety of technology-based tools that have changed the game and allowed us to take a more global approach to our business. Over the past year I’ve filled roles in the UK, United States, and the Middle East - all from my desk in Toronto. Using tools like LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime, GoogleHangout, and iMessage, I’ve been able to vastly expand my reach and keep in touch with Clients and Candidates all over the world.
However, over the past 3 weeks as it seems the entire world has been working from home – these Technology Advantages have become a real source of frustration. Simple things that I took for granted are just not as dependable anymore…
Video Conferencing used to be a painless experience (and a great way to screen candidates) but is now glitchy and slow. Screens are freezing consistently, audio is muffled, and lots of people who never used this tech before are not finding it straightforward (I can’t count the number of people who have pressed mute by accident).
Our Cellular Networks are not prepared for this either. I’ve had more dropped calls in the past 3 weeks than in the past 3 years combined. Doing something simple like a 3-way conference is now a risky proposition (as the Network will invariably drop one of the participants). And of course the call quality has gone downhill (I’ve also said “Pardon” more times in the past 3 weeks than in the past 3 years).
I never knew this – but it turns out I’m a little old school. I miss meeting people in person. I miss grabbing a coffee or beer after work. I miss being able to have impromptu meetings with my team and working together to strategize. In general I’m a pretty tech forward individual (albeit a dinosaur to my kids) – but there really is something to be said for personal connections.
So, in general – I miss going into the Office. I miss being able to pick up the phone and easily call someone. I miss being able to visit clients. I miss grabbing a quick lunch with a candidate who happens to be in the neighbourhood.
This is a turning point for the Business World. I believe that the Working from Home movement is here to stay. I understand that my technical Issues will eventually be fixed. 5G is coming. Networks will run smoother. People will finally figure out how to use Zoom. I just hope that we don’t lose site of the fact that it is important to interact with people in the real world as well.
Retail, Wholesale and Association Executive
4 年As someone who has worked remotely for a significant portion of my career, I can empathize with all of your points Jason. Having the fortunate circumstance of being in remote office roles that required “in the field” activity as well, gave me the benefit of that face to face or in person connectivity as opposed to a purely office or desk driven environment. While there is time spent at the home office there was always time spent with clients and customers outside of the office. I even used public libraries as temporary office space to meet with my team members when there was no physical office space to utilize. These unique days have made that routine inappropriate right now. I can see the challenges faced by those that have always been “office based” and are now working remotely. My wife is currently working from home and is finding it difficult to sit in our home office for the better part of a day with no truly personal interaction with her team. Teleconferencing is a great alternative, however nothing ever really beats sitting across from someone and working collaboratively. Stay safe and healthy and see you on the other side of this crisis. Noel
Connecting top talent in the Canadian real estate sector, I leverage over 24 years of experience to drive career success and strategic hiring. Elevate your career or enhance your team.
4 年I couldn't agree with you more Jason Chad. I too spent the last 25 years working in a team environment where you got used to seeing the same (mostly) happy faces each morning and grabbing a coffee to plan the day. We're mostly social creatures by nature and I too fear that this work-from-home movement will catch on. We can't let it. Once this is over, we need to get out and mingle, meet clients, friends, co-workers...whoever, and embrace them like long lost friends. I pray we never have to go through this again in our lifetime.
Marketing Executive I Fractional CMO I Advisor I Mentor l Entrepreneur I Health-Tech I Medical Devices I Consumer Tech
4 年Thanks for sharing Jason, I'm sure most of us currently resonate with this perspective.
Great perspectives Jason - thanks for sharing your thoughts...