Working from home has become an increasingly popular option for many job seekers in recent years. While working from home offers plenty of appealing benefits, such as increased flexibility and comfortability, there are still distinct advantages to having a physical office space where employees can come together and collaborate. From mental health benefits provided by face-to-face connection with others to better focus granted by those in the office setting, continuing to work onsite is quickly becoming a priority for business owners who understand that specific tasks require people in the same room.
Working at the Office Versus Working at Home
According to the Labor Department’s new report, 72.5% of business establishments said their employees worked remotely rarely or not at all last year, which is a huge increase from just last year. Companies are learning that remote work is not as great as they once thought. The unfortunate thing is, many job seekers are still only seeking remote positions. If you are in this group of individuals seeking only remote opportunities, you are missing out on a vast majority of job openings.
In fact, only 37% of jobs in the United States can be performed entirely at home, but 54% of adults want to work remotely. With over 50% of adults wanting to work remotely, you can understand why it is almost impossible to find a remote opportunity in this job market. Even though remote work is an ideal situation for most of us, it is important to note that working at the office actually has more benefits for us.
Benefits of Working in the Office
Time Management
Most positions have set schedules. Whether you are 8-4 or 9-5, offices usually have fixed hours for work and lunch. Time management is essential in this atmosphere because you have to finish all your work in that time slot. When working from home, there is no time usually set on when you have to work, but you just need to get your work done.
Working in the office is a great way to learn about punctuality and will teach you how to begin and end on time. When you are at home, you set your own break schedule every day.
Behavior and Interpersonal Skills
When you are at the office, you are surrounded by others. Another benefit of working in the office is learning how to behave professionally in front of others.
When working remotely, you will not have this communication with your colleagues.
Better Experience
Training is very difficult when you are working remotely compared to in the office. If you are stuck, having to ask a question is much more difficult when you are not in the office. The best way to gain experience in the workplace is from others. Without working with others daily, you will gain less experience and knowledge. Ultimately, this may be one of the best benefits of working in the office.
Understanding Company Culture
There is no better way to understand business than working in an office. Here you will understand all the aspects of the business, not just your job. This will help you in the future when you are looking for a promotion! When you are remote, you will know less information about the company you work for, which will limit you in the long run.
Easier to Network
The last benefit of working in the office is networking. When you are in the office, it is much easier to meet all of your colleagues and bosses. It is easy to stay in touch as well because you are with them everyday. At home, it may be months in between conversations with some of your colleagues.
Do Not Limit Yourself
If you are seeking work, do not limit yourself to only remote work. Companies are hiring, but more than 70% of them are hiring for in-office openings only. The worst thing you can do on your job search is limit yourself. Once you say you can only work remotely, you may be taking your application out of contention for an employer that is offering you a great opportunity. Remote work is still a relatively new concept and some hiring managers do not see it being successful long-term.
Remote work does have many advantages, but there are also many disadvantages to remote work. The disadvantages include isolation, decreased employee visibility, decreased work/life balance, lack of relationships among coworkers, and increased distractions. While there are tools out there that can help companies provide their employees with a better remote experience, including webinars, live chats, and other features in an event management software, many times these tools can fall short of in-person events. Also the benefits of working in the office outweigh the benefits of working remotely.
If the only reason for you to request remote work is because you do not want to drive in everyday, then you should probably not limit yourself to only remote work. When working in the office, you will gain more experience and be able to understand the culture of your company. If you never step foot into your employers building, how well do you really know their culture? Do you agree with the benefits of working in the office that we mentioned?
