Why Going Back To The Office Can Be A Good Thing.

Now that the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is starting to lessen in most parts of the world with the vaccine rolling out, things are slowly going back to normal. Travel is picking back up, less masks are being worn, and people are heading back to their offices. That’s right – the dream of working from home is coming to an end for most people.

 

Is working from home always a dream, though? If you’re one of those people who can’t wait to get back to the office, we’re here to say that you’re not alone. And if you’re one of those people who loves working from home, we’ve got some reasons why going back to the office may actually be a good thing for you.

 

The Office Culture

 

Every workplace has its own unique culture, and this has many benefits – mainly about the colleagues you work with. The longer you’re physically away from your colleagues, the less sense of camaraderie you have. This can have serious impacts. Your sense of mission and ‘getting the job’ done as a team is bound to go awry.

 

If you value your team’s and your company’s core values as a whole, it’s important to constantly engage with your colleagues to keep track of these values. It’s not enough to be in virtual meetings with them once a week – you need to be at their desks, eating lunch together, and bonding in a way that leads to great professional results.

 

This especially true for newcomers, as well – you’ll want them to understand the core values and not get the wrong idea, not get off on the wrong foot.

What about if you’re a newcomer yourself? It’s pretty hard to start a new job remotely, and this is especially true for recent graduates who need to learn so much and make vital early professional connections.

 

Let’s not forget about the fact that you might have some great friends in your office, too. This is one of the main reasons why going to work is even bearable for so many people around the world.

 

In-Person Learning

 

Remote environments really aren’t the best vehicle for new knowledge. Have you ever heard of Zoom fatigue? There’s good chance you’ve experienced it, let alone heard of it. After a while, the words you hear from virtual meetings just don’t seem to go in anymore. It’s not a conducive way of learning anything.

 

You might not realise it, but a lot of new information is shared through short informal conversations that happen ad hoc between desks. People don’t even realise they’re doing it a lot of the time. It’s all about serendipity – overhearing things, bouncing off others’ ideas, and so on.

 

Gets You Out Of Your Bubble

 

Even those of you who absolutely love working from home will have experienced this – you end up feeling like you’re stuck in a bubble. There’s a whole busy world out there, while you’re stuck staring at the same four walls.

 

Sure, the things you see on your commute may get boring after a while, but it’s still life. It still opens your mind to new things. You need to stimulate your mind for it to thrive.

 

You might not realise it, but even driving to your office makes you burn calories and gets you more active than sitting at your home desk all day, the one you climbed out of bed to get to. Driving on the road takes a lot of mental concentration, and of course walking is even better. It won’t only get you more active, it’ll help you sleep too.

 

Bottom Line

 

The main problem is that the benefits of working from home are good for you, whereas the benefits of working in the office are good for your company. At the end of the day, the collective good of the company usually wins. That means you’ll be heading back to the office soon.

 

Some companies will have to listen in some sense, though. Many organisations are increasing their flexibility and allowing employees to have at least one day working from home. Only time will tell how this progresses into the future.

 

Can We Help?

 

If you’re dreading going back into the office, it might be a sign that you need a new job. We can help you with that. Here at Xplore Life Science, we’re expert recruiters for the life science and pharmaceutical industries. Send us over your CV or apply to one of our jobs, and we’ll see if we can find you a job that you won’t be able to stay away from.