It’s been almost five years since I started working away from my teammates. Like many others, COVID was the catalyst that led to this, but unlike many, it wasn’t until two weeks ago that I started going to the office with my teammates. Up to this point, I had always worked remotely from my team who previously sat in California.
But after three years of working at Google and joining a new team (see I’m Leaving my Team at Google article) I’m finally getting to work with my teammates in person. These last two weeks have made me realize how much I’ve missed working with people face to face.
The benefits of being able to pair program, quickly ask others questions, and debug together can’t be overstated. It’s also really nice to take walks for one on ones and enjoy all the perks the office has to offer with my team.
Don’t get me wrong, working remotely has its own advantages, but so does working in office — especially from a corporate perspective. Otherwise, why would Amazon have announced a mandatory return to office five days a week.
Overall, I believe that most people are more productive in an office and I don’t think this should come as a surprise. Prior to COVID the expectation was that people work in offices Monday through Friday. Offices are designed for worker productivity, especially at larger companies.
Everything from the type of chair you sit in, to free in office perks like cafes and gyms are offered because they make financial sense for the company to do so. You’re able to sit in your chair longer if its comfortable and ergonomic. Lunch breaks can be shorter if you can walk three hundred feet from your desk and receive a freshly prepared burritto. Why leave the office to workout at your gym if there’s a nicer gym just two floors below where you sit?
Compare this to the unique environment that each individual employee has at home to work from and its no wonder companies question productivity. This isn’t to say that no one is productive who works remotely but rather if I had to bet I’d say the average in office employee is more productive than a remote one.
There’s also something to say about being able to experience the in office “culture” of a company which no matter how good our technology is today just doesn’t come across through a computer screen. Company values? Sure. Culture? Not so much.
So far I’ve been pleasantly surprised with my return to office journey and just how smooth it’s been. I’m excited to see how much faster I’ll be able to learn and contribute to my team working in person.
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P.S. The one thing I still need to figure out is my sleep schedule. Going from working remotely with a team in California (three hours behind me) to working in person with a team in person at 9 AM has been quite the adjustment (he writes at 1:18 AM).
Working on site doesn't mean we are more productive. Personally, I work better at home where I have quite environment. It's key to acknowledge employees' preferences when it comes to this.
Going to office definitely feels good but to say one is more productive in office and that going to office in person is essentially better is something I will have to respectfully disagree with 🙂