UHaul to Utah: Navigating the Roads of Work Culture Evolution

Just two months ago, my wife and I decided to do just that. That's right, we rented a 26-foot truck, and hauled it across the country... all in the name of an RTO mandate. Implemented by myself. Yep, that's right. I chose to do this. Now that I've (hopefully) got your attention, I'd like to explore some observations I have made during the past 2+ years of working in a post-Covid world. My career has not been long lived, considering I am only two years post undergrad, yet, I have seen some of the starkest changes to modern work culture in the post WWII era.

Working from Home

My journey began in November of 2021, right before graduation. I accepted an offer with a fantastic company (shoutout RainFocus), and immediately began working from an apartment I was renting with a friend of mine... one week before moving out. I still recall doing the company trainings while sitting on a shaky, backless, weightlifting bench. At the time, remote work provided the flexibility that I otherwise would not have had. Namely, I was able to get married, stay in a college town so that my wife could finish her master's degree, learn to work independently, etc... It was great. Over the next two years I would move two more times (another huge perk of remote work); but so would my friends. You see, being remote did lead to an isolation of sorts, which, for my personality, was not conducive to long term growth. Now, I did manage, but only through constant and continuous effort to have some sort of human interaction (thank you pickleball). I am only using myself as a prototype here, to show that remote work is not for everyone. This is by no means a plea to RTO. In fact, I would strongly oppose such a measure.

Working in the Office

Over the past two months of going into the office, I have made a few observations. For one, I have noticed that I have begun to understand the company better than I had in the past. I've also been able to foster relationships with people in ways that I couldn't with the trailer park cats (yes, I lived in a trailer). Lastly, I have been able to catch on to company values, opinions, and "tribal knowledge" easier than I had been able to while working from home. While these certainly are good and even desirable qualities that could attract people to the office, it is important to realize that these things are not valuable to everyone. For some, the most valuable thing you could offer them is to be able to work from home, have a flexible schedule, and have the freedom to take their kids to school in the mornings before they have to be at work at 8am so that their seat doesn't get cold.

Can remote work work for you?

If remote work is to work, it must do so on an individual level. This article is not to discuss the merits of a militant in person mandate, or the merits of a remote-first company, but rather to think critically about which style suits you best. Regarding remote work, some of the most common reasons that RTO policies are put into practice are as follows: 1. management (haha I am funny). In all seriousness, the top two reasons that management may institute such measures often consist of the following beliefs:

1. 1.

   People work better in person: This is not true, for a plethora of reasons. A couple viable examples here are ADHD, complicated dynamics in the office, introvert tendencies, distracting office environments,someone having been hired under the expectation that they would work remote, etc... just to name a few. In fact, the last reason is actually more of an anti-reason. If someone is hired under the expectation that they will be working remotely, and then you force them to come into the office, this will probably affect their performance negatively. This is what is meant by "silent firing". This one also leaves a sour taste in my mind because in many cases it is a cover up for "we don't trust our employees". At RainFocus, we pride ourselves on being excellent stewards, and are not micro-managed. Sure, people may do peopley things, but at the end of the day, you can tell if someone is getting things done or not. And if you can't, then is there really an issue? Or maybe someone at your company needs to put the training wheels back on their bike and figure out why they can't tell if their employees are being good stewards. In most cases, your employee's success is in part a result of your leadership.

2. 2.

   Company culture: This one, in my opinion, is the strongest argument for in office work. When I worked remotely, I had to do some deep digging to feel relevant at the company, and try extra hard to "put myself out there". As my experience as a remote employee grew, this one became the main driver behind my qualms with my personal remote work journey. It became increasingly evident that in order for remote workers to feel included, the treatment for remote workers and in person workers needs to be roughly the same. However, the most important thing that MUST be equal for remote vs in person employees is communication. Without good collaboration tools and communication skills, especially for someone early in their career, it is very difficult to progress and be productive.

Charge

With these things being said, can remote work work for you? My opinion is that remote work is here to stay... ish. I believe that some companies will continue to foster environments where remote work can thrive, while other companies will fall by the wayside by requiring people to return to office. Don't get me wrong, there are some cases where a company was in-person pre-covid, and was forced to pivot. However, in companies where they require an RTO policy, the leadership should be the first people back! As time goes on, the dust will likely settle on this Covid-induced fiasco. So, take heart! Do some introspecting on your personal communication skills, especially if you work from home. Make sure to put yourself out there, communicate effectively and efficiently, and check in on your fellow remote coworkers from time to time. You will be glad you did.