I am not a person who likes it when people write in absolutes. That is why I was astounded that  Malcolm Gladwell, the renowned author of books about research and the social sciences, said on the Diary of a CEO podcast that those working from home have to go into the office to have a “sense of belonging” and recapture a feeling of something bigger than themselves.

Well, he kicked up a firestorm. Many people pointed out that Mr. Gladwell said that he did not go into the offices of The New Yorker magazine, where he had worked, because of its location and an aversion to desks.

So was this an example of “do as I say and not as I do?”

We Are All Different

I have learned enough in life and business to know that there are very few things that are absolutes in life. As Ben Franklin is oft quoted, “Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

So it burns me up when people like Malcolm Gladwell write about how people “have” to work. What works for me may not work for you. What worked for me 5, 10, 15, or 20 years ago may not work now. Times change; people change. 

Life is full of trade-offs. That is why it is important to know what is right for you right now regarding how you best work. Also, it is essential to clarify what you need versus what you want. Know the ones that are right for you.

Many Workers Desire More Flexibility

First, let’s be clear that you cannot do some remotely. Some jobs in the service industry, security, or production need workers to be on-site, or no work gets done. Workers in these industries have no choice about where they work. If you want to do these jobs, you will be on-site. End of story.

But in many industries and occupations, there is more flexibility about where and how you work. And workers would love to have more flexibility. In a Spring 2002 survey by McKinsey and Company, 87% of the survey participants answered that they would take it if given a chance to have work flexibility.

Interestingly, in this same survey, only 32% wanted to be fully remote, meaning working out of the office five days a week. Most survey participants believed there was some benefit to physically being in the office at least part of the time.

I do believe that Malcolm Gladwell’s arguments for in-person work are not without some merit. It is important to explore some of the positives of working on-site. Every choice one makes is a trade-off for something else. Understanding the pros and cons of working on-site and remotely is important to know which is right for you.

Pros of In-Person Work

Fellowship with coworkers

Going into an office, you likely will see some of the same people every day, others you will see every week. You will know their name, what they do, and how they work. Working together, you may even learn about them personally–what they like to eat, watch on TV, or who they spend time with and outside of work. This learning is how you build a sense of community with your co-workers. And because you work for the same organization, you will also have a shared sense of purpose to achieve company goals. While this is not impossible to build when working remotely, it is much more challenging.

Improved work setup

Working on-site often allows you to have a workstation or office set up to optimize your productivity. For example, you may have better internet connectivity or multiple monitors set up that works better for how you work than you can duplicate in your own home or even at a coffee shop.

Easier exchange of ideas and insights

Going up to your teammate's desk and asking a question or spitballing ideas can be more spontaneous when workers are on-site than off-site. I know there are many tech tools to help workers replicate this give and take, but in my experience, they are not the same experience as talking face-to-face with someone and having a deeper conversation.

Better work and home life boundaries

When I worked remotely, my work and home life often blurred. My typical work commute was 50 minutes each way, and for me, that time was when I caught up on podcasts or listened to audiobooks. I had a built-in transition time from home to work. When I was working remotely,

my husband would come into my office and ask me questions that he would typically hold off on until I was home. I would load the washing machine and run it in-between Zoom calls. And my usual 5:30 pm sign-off for the day when I was on-site would creep to 6:00 pm or 6:30 pm while I finished up work and simultaneously started making dinner. Being “off” was a bit harder to obtain.

Potentially better onboarding

Onboarding someone remotely is not impossible, fully remote companies do it all the time, and companies had to switch to remote onboarding during the pandemic lockdowns. For some individuals, remote onboarding can be fine. They are self-motivated to ask questions and find people to help them when needed. For others, asking for the help they need is more challenging. With a boss or trainer not on site to observe how the new employee is working, the individual may not get extra attention if needed, or deficiencies in understanding new information may not be caught early, which implications for success in the new role. 

Collaboration

We hear from CEOs that they want workers on site for better collaboration.CEO Barry McCarthy of Peloton recently wrote to his employees, “I've also long-believed hands-on, shoulder-to-shoulder collaboration is essential for fast, efficient teamwork and innovation,” in his call to return to work. But why? They believe in-person collaboration generates better ideas quicker. And this will make the business more productive and responsive to changing business needs. With statistics showing that teamwork and workplace collaboration can increase sales by 27%, no wonder CEOs that getting workers back to the office will help their bottom line.

Networking and making friends

Networking and making work friends is not impossible when working remotely, but it can be much harder to do, and one has to be more intentional with interactions. The serendipitous conversations while waiting in line at a company cafeteria or for an elevator won’t happen when one works remotely. The impromptu team meeting at the local coffee shop does not occur. And getting to sit next to a senior leader at a meeting doesn’t happen. For many people, work is not all about work. There is a social component around it. And remote work does make that more challenging.

Leaders provide opportunities to people they know and trust

Getting that plumb assignment on an important task force or the opportunity to receive additional training may not depend on how well you deliver results but on how much the supervisor knows, likes, and trusts you. For many supervisors, building that trust is more challenging when some of their staff work remotely, and they are in the office. It is easier to trust someone that they see every day. Therefore, being seen every day may give workers access to promotions and other opportunities. I am not saying this is right, but this is human nature. 

Cons of In-Person Work

Commuting and additional costs

Let’s face it, going to work can be costly. You have the transportation costs of getting to and from work (gasoline, transit pass, parking), but you may have the expense of a work wardrobe and food. Working on-site likely will cost you more, and depending on where you live vis-a-vis the office, it could be a lot more.

Interruptions causing lower productivity

Before the start of the pandemic, many workers complained about offices not being conducive to productivity. Open offices, where people sit side by side, may mean a lot of noise and conversations around you. And because one of the points of having people on-site is for the interactions, you may find that you are interrupted in your work, both for work-related and non-work-related conversations.

A lack of privacy

Working from home means that even if your work output is being monitored, no one is physically watching you. Yes, you may be asked to turn on your camera in a Zoom meeting, but you are the only one there in your home, not so in the office. Everyone and anyone can be watching you. Your micromanaging manager may be walking around your work area several times an hour, keeping an eye on you and what you are doing. For many, these prying eyes make for a less-than-optimal work experience.

Pros or cons of in person work: More manager feedback

I put this in the pro or con category, as it depends on the nature of the feedback and how you feel about it. Some workers may feel they need more feedback about their work and will see working on-site as a positive if they receive additional feedback because their manager has more visibility into what they are doing. However, this can also be a con if the manager tends to micromanage; therefore, the feedback is more than desired, demeaning, or demotivating.

Remote work also has its pros and cons

Many white-collar workers got a taste of remote work in March 2022 when lockdowns began, and companies went to 100% remote work.  While there was an adjustment period as new routines were established and policies updated, it became apparent that for many workers, there were some unique positives to working from home.

Pros of remote work

While some of the pros of remote work have been addressed in the cons section of on-site work, here are a few more that many workers believe are important.

Increased flexibility around family obligations and desires

One of the stressors many working parents face is meeting work and family obligations. Often, when push came to shove, family obligations got the short end of the stick. Working from home comes with fewer tradeoffs. Parents can meet the children at the school bus stop or not worry that they will be late to retrieve kids from after-school care. Or, instead of spending 45 minutes commuting in the morning, the employee can use the same time for a cardio workout. Many workers found that this increased flexibility made their lives easier and allowed them a fuller life.

Fewer microaggressions

Many marginalized groups experience what is called “microaggressions” in the workplace. In the workplace, microaggressions are a subtle form of prejudice. Sometimes they are unintentional, but other times they are not. Examples could be a woman told she has a “resting bitch face” or someone asking a person of color if they can touch their hair when they would never ask the same thing of a caucasian person. When there are fewer in-person interactions, the amount of these microaggressions decreases, and impacted workers feel less stress from going to work.

Expanded employment opportunities

Remote work means that workers can prioritize where they want to live for personal reasons and not necessarily for employment opportunities. Traditionally, workers had employment opportunities available to them based on the companies located in their geographic area. With remote working, workers have much more opportunities to find employment with organizations around the country or even around the world. 

Cons to remote working

Feeling isolated

Some workers enjoy the daily interaction they have with coworkers. Coming into an office, seeing familiar faces, catching up with what happened during last night’s game, or chatting about the weekend. For those that work from home, they may feel very isolated and disconnected from their work community. This can be especially true for extroverts, who get their energy from these daily interactions. 

Video conferencing exhaustion, i.e., “Zoom Fatigue”

Video meetings replaced the one-to-one and team/group meetings previously conducted in person. Video meetings have a different dynamic than in-person meetings. Whether meeting on Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, or other video conferencing services, “Zoom Fatigue” involved a sense of profound exhaustion from always being “on” because of the nature of this type of communication. Focusing on eye contact, seeing yourself on the video screen, and concentrating more because of the medium all increase a sense of fatigue for some.

Less ability to be “in the know”

Office gossip is a two-edged sword. It can sometimes be mean and catty, but it also can help people understand what is going on and how things work in the organization. When one works remotely but others are in the office, it definitely puts the remote worker at a disadvantage in knowing what is happening. Many workers use the information that they glean to be proactive in addressing situations (such as hearing layoffs might be happening). Those working remotely may be the last to know about important happenings and, therefore, can only be reactive to the news. 

What about hybrid work?

Many companies have used a hybrid model to bridge in-person and remote work. If done correctly, hybrid work can allow teams time to collaborate and innovate and give each member time for uninterrupted work. In-person work makes networking easier and can relieve a sense of isolation that 5-day remote work may have for some people. It can also give employees some flexibility that many value from remote work.

What style of working is right for you?

Many people come to me saying that they want to work remotely. As a coach, I always want to explore that further because it is important to understand the pros and cons of each style of working and determine which is right for that client at this moment. When we go over the pros and cons, it becomes apparent that remote working is best for some of these clients. But for some, a hybrid work model might work better for their needs and wants.

There is no right way to work. We are all different. That is why I wholeheartedly disagree with Malcolm Gladwell’s pronouncement that people should return to the office. Maybe some should. But it is important to know what works best for you in your situation today. That is how you will better thrive in your career.

Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.