Benefits of Return to Office
It’s an understatement to say the pandemic has altered the way in which we work. Since many companies have adopted various remote work models, it’s easy to see why employees may resist returning to the office for good. For some, the daily commute has been eliminated, and working from home makes it easier than ever to build your schedule around other daily responsibilities.
Conversely, at INFINIUM, continuing to work together in the office for the past 2.5 years has contributed positively to many critical aspects of our organization, including operations, culture, productivity, and employee morale. During the construction of our new Strongsville Headquarters, completed in December ’21, we took the wants and needs of our team into consideration and built an environment we look forward to coming into every day.
Ultimately, it's up to each individual corporation to determine what fits their company culture and works best for their employees. For those dreading going back to the office, keep in mind there are some great benefits of working together with your team under one roof.
1. Collaboration
IT TAKES A TEAM – Being in the same space leads to moments of serendipitous collaboration that just don’t happen when you are isolated in multiple locations. Being only an office or two away makes it more likely that employees will take initiative to get up and ask quick questions or randomly share new information with their colleagues. At INFINIUM, this may involve hopping on a scooter to cross the production floor!
These moments enabled by a shared physical workspace can help move projects along quicker. You may run into a colleague while working out a problem and have a discussion that leads to a spur-of-the-moment solution. Or you may find an opportunity to offer valuable insight to a colleague that you see struggling with a project. Though we may take these moments for granted, they can play a significant role in our success, not only as a team but as individuals.
When employees feel a strong sense of connection to their team and are highly involved in projects, they are likely to become your most productive and happiest employees. Employees who feel satisfied and happy tend to make better decisions at work and are much more inclined to put their innovative, creating thinking skills to use. If an employee begins to feel isolated, left out, or disconnected, they may become less engaged with their job, and suffer a decrease in performance.
At INFINIUM, we pride ourselves on the fact that we do it all under one roof. Every team and every individual member plays an integral part in completing a project from start to finish, so it’s only natural that we interact with one another on a regular basis. We understand firsthand that having colleagues and friends at work helps to increase job satisfaction, as well as overall well-being — Our out-of-state team members are involved in regular virtual meetings and are with us every step of the way. Good collaborative relationships within our organization result in happier, more engaged, and highly productive employees that consistently deliver best-in-class walls to our clients. Because we kept operations moving seamlessly in-house throughout the pandemic, we haven’t skipped a beat.
2. Culture
COMPANY DNA – Every company is unique. Learning to navigate that unique culture requires being around your colleagues and experiencing how they interact. Starting a new job in the office setting, with in-person communication, gives new hires an obvious advantage. Being able to engage with your team is the best way to learn best practices and adopt a company’s culture organically.
Spending time with colleagues is equally important for existing employees. They are the backbone of keeping an organization’s culture alive and well. It requires frequent engagement to ensure that everyone is aligned with the same core values.
AT INFINIUM, part of our culture is to work hard and play hard. Being part of the physical office allows our employees to build relationships, support each other, and engage in some good old-fashioned friendly competition. What kind of competition, you ask? It can range anywhere from new product development challenges or designing the best personalized Bitmoji, to billiards/basketball/shuffleboard/cornhole tournaments and annual golf outings. These contests keep our energy levels high and give us opportunities to build genuine team camaraderie.
3. PURPOSE
ENERGY – Energy is important. It has the potential to make or break the work environment. Positive energy is contagious, and it’s’ the type of energy that you want to be around. Do you know someone that can walk into a room and completely lift the mood? This type of positive, fun, “can do” attitude can help you flourish; it pushes you to work harder and be better, inspiring you to do your best work. This brand of energy that we radiate at INFINIUM from the top down creates an enhanced sense of community, belonging, and combined sense of purpose – all major motivators when it comes to employee morale and productivity.
A group of individuals working together toward a shared mission reinforces the unified goal in all members of the organization and results in overall employee prosperity and drive. When we work together, we lift each other up and push one another to achieve more. When employees feel that they are contributing to the overall purpose of the organization, it increases the sense that their job is a vocation or calling and not just a means to an end.
If nobody did anything, nothing would get done. It’s a philosophy we live by at INFINIUM, to always keep moving and not be afraid of making mistakes because that’s how we learn, grow, and accomplish new achievements. When we have the support of a high-functioning team behind us and a clear, positive direction that drives us, it makes it easier to try new things and pursue new opportunities.
Nothing builds a great team better than creating an environment that supports collaboration, engagement, and shared determination. In the end, it all comes down to what kind of environment works best for your team and your company, but it’s important to remember the many reasons why being back in the office may improve individual work life, as well as organizational success.