Imagine you are walking through a forest. The sun shone through the trees. The only sounds were the occasional chirping of birds and the rustle of the wind through the leaves. Just reading this article may bring you a sense of calm. Research shows that natural environments trigger specific cognitive states, such as reducing mental fatigue and stress. Humans are wired to have physiological responses to different physical environments, and these responses may be influenced by sociocultural factors. For example, when we walk into a dentist’s office (an otherwise unassuming room), our heart rate rises because we know what’s coming next. The sight of our bed may make us feel sleepy, or at least inspire the desire to curl up with a book. That’s why sleep experts recommend not doing things like reading, eating, or working in bed — not crossing the wire.
Likewise, it’s important to maintain boundaries between work and living spaces, which becomes challenging when people are working from home. For this reason and others, I advocate a full return to the office. Since the pandemic slowed down, my team at Jotform has transitioned to working full-time in the office. I see the benefits in learning, collaboration, innovation and personal well-being. Here are the reasons why a full RTO is better for businesses and employees than working from home or hybrid.
Promote work-life balance
Many employees report being more productive when working from home. Researchers found that employees attribute the productivity benefits of working from home primarily to savings in commute time. But commuting time can also be productive—it depends on how you use it. Studies show that listening to music or browsing social media during your commute increases the likelihood of workday stress. Instead, the researchers recommend thinking about work while commuting and mentally making plans for the day. That’s why, on the way to the office, I make a mental to-do list and think through the problems that need to be solved. On the way home, I decompressed and prepared to spend quality time with my wife and three kids. When I walked in the door, I was all in.
While I occasionally work from home (for example, if one of the kids is sick), I’m more effective working outside. A separate physical space allows me to enter work mode as soon as I walk into the office and disconnect when I get home.
Additionally, a recent Gallup survey found that only 28% of remote employees feel strongly that they are connected to the organization’s mission and goals, the lowest level since 2011.
Increase learning opportunities
My company has grown from 1 employee to 660 employees and counting, and I can attest that one of the greatest benefits of working for an organization, rather than being a lone wolf, is the opportunity to learn from colleagues, whether Vertical orientation (senior employees teaching junior employees, or senior employees).
When colleagues do not share a physical workspace, communication of knowledge and skills is limited. One study found that remote working is making companies increasingly isolated. At Microsoft, remote working has resulted in employees’ collaboration time for cross-team contact being reduced by approximately 25% compared to before the epidemic.
Like many companies, Jotform was forced to pivot to remote work during the pandemic. As we continued to launch new products and maintain consistent productivity, I noticed one group of employees was struggling – the new employees. They floundered and many resigned in frustration. Distance learning is more challenging for entry-level employees who don’t have foundational skills or pre-existing relationships with colleagues.
Now that our employees are back in the office, new hire retention is back to pre-pandemic levels. Increased learning and mentoring is no small part of this.
Promote innovation
At Jotform, our cross-functional teams have private offices where they can shut down, bounce ideas off, and collaborate on projects. Every office has a whiteboard. Employees work side by side with each other’s screens in sight so they can see what each other is doing. Sometimes, when we’re forced to work from home, we can still be creative. But there’s no doubt that creative synergy is different.
In fact, research shows that interacting through screens makes employees less likely to generate ideas. When someone is using a video conference, the screen consumes part of the communicator’s attention, narrowing the cognitive focus. Additionally, an analysis of 20 million research articles and 4 million patent applications found that on-site teams make more breakthrough discoveries than remote teams. These findings don’t surprise me at all. Physical presence is more conducive to collaboration and innovative thinking.
The arguments in favor of remote working are not as strong as they seem. A complete RTO brings undeniable benefits to both the business and its employees. It creates clear boundaries between work and personal life, improving productivity and mental health. It promotes learning and knowledge sharing, especially for new hires who thrive on direct interaction and mentorship. Face-to-face collaboration inspires greater innovation. Sometimes just seeing your workspace can spark creative ideas.
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