Is the remote work culture really the superior work style?

This question has been on everyone's lips since COVID? had us on house arrest. Sadly, this article might leave you a bit more confused about this topic, but hey, stick with us regardless.?

At Busha, we've always fancied the remote work style. Over time, this has had its pros and cons, and in this article, we are exploring both. Let's start with some pros.?

Our talent hire isn't limited by location??

We are more trusting of our employees.

Timing/working conditions are flexible. (As I lay in bed, writing this article)?

All of these, amongst other things, are some pros.?

To say it's all rosy would be a half-truth, so let's get into some cons. One of the funnier ones is, more likely than not, you do not know your colleagues. Think about it: Tega works in marketing and regularly relates with the guys on the marketing and design team—and maybe product at best! She has no direct business with members of the engineering or legal teams and probably never will. So, how do we solve this problem, AND is this really a problem??

Our people ops team assessed the situation and concluded it needed to be addressed. According to our Head of HR, "Working is more than getting your job done; it's also about building new connections and friendships and simply working more across the board for the greater good."?

As the saying goes, identifying a problem is the first step to solving it. So, kudos to our people ops team for their brilliant solution.?

A Virtual Cup of Coffee…

The people ops team paired the entire Busha team with the most unlikely partners, forcing each person to learn something exciting about their partner before the end of the session.

Speaking on behalf of my colleagues, we thought this would be an awkward situation. We were probably cursing out people ops in our minds (sorry, guys). However, it was definitely a case of what the adult could see sitting down. ??

The best part of this exercise was that everyone had to share what they learned about their partners at the general TGIF session. Suffice it to say that we have some interesting characters at Busha. I will be sharing some of my favourite discoveries about my colleagues.?

Firstly, I discovered that fitness has a very thriving community here in Busha, as everyone in Busha is taking their fitness seriously. At the rate we are going, we are either fighting for our lives, preparing for war, or running for something.?

But, yeah, I love to see us taking our health seriously, so by the time we are 60, we'd still be rocking our bodies, giving the young ones a run for their money. So go, team????

Now, moving on to my colleagues, here are a few of my favourites:

Tega loves to sleep; in fact, it's one of her hobbies! We wonder how she gets her work done, but I guess we can attribute it to one of the flexes of remote work. So to Tega, we say, "As long as you do your work and deliver as at when due, we're good girl!"

When I tell you we're a bunch of talented people at Busha, best believe it. We've got some artists and artistes in the house! Davido and Picasso don't know who's coming for them! You heard it first here, so don't be shocked when they blow.?

And when people ask us, we'd say, "Oh yeah, we go way back," and who knows, we might also be given free tickets to their shows.

We have a guy named Busha Blue "Blue" who got his name because one of his previous clients didn't know how to pronounce his name correctly despite all attempts?? (we bet the client isn't a Nigerian because, you know, Naija no dey carry last).

Also, Bolu doesn't want to get married at all. Hmmm, we wonder who broke his heart????♀? The heartbreak must have been deep for him to make such a decision. (we pray for God's healing upon his heart.)

There you have it, guys. In the end, we had a newfound respect for each other. It turns out that a casual conversation over a virtual cup of coffee can be a powerful tool to build bridges, create a more supportive work environment, and ultimately make the remote team stronger. So, next time you're looking to boost team spirit, take a pause from chasing the bread, and instead get a croissant, a coffee, and have a nice chat – you might be surprised by what you learn about the amazing people you work with!

That said, which would you say is the superior work style? Share your work culture experiences in the comments below.

Written by Ruth Oyibocha