In today’s digital age more people are working remotely. There are a lot of misconceptions about what this can do for your business, most of which are seemingly positive. Although working from home may seem nice, and beneficial for your company, it can actually harm your company’s productivity and output.
Here are some common working-from-home myths debunked:
1. Working in a more comfortable environment will increase productivity.
Haven’t you ever heard “dress for the job you want”? People often believe that if they can work at home on the couch in their pajamas that they will be happier and get more work done. This is not the case. Yes, a change of scenery can aid creativity – but slouching on your couch will not benefit your health or work output.
2. Meetings are just as productive over the phone/video chat.
Meetings should only happen remotely if it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, meetings in person are more productive.
According to a study conducted by Forbes, The Case for Face-to-Face, “Throughout, executives preferred face-to-face meetings when the decision-making process was fluid, requiring the kind of give-and-take typical of complex decisions and sales. For example, respondents said face-to-face meetings are best for persuasion (91%), leadership (87%), engagement (86%), accountability (79%), and decision-making (82%).”
Body language, presentation, and relationship building are just some things that can never be replaced by phone or video meetings.
3. I can make my own schedule.
Business drives on deadlines. Although your schedule from home may be more flexible – you still must ensure that you meet deadlines assigned to you. You may find yourself cramming in a project into the wee hours of the night, but remember, it probably won’t be your best work. In-office deadlines are structured so you can finish the work in the time constraints of your job.
4. Anyone can work remotely.
There are some self-starters out there that can work from home. But, it is definitely not for everyone. Often it takes a trial and error situation to realize that someone can or cannot work from home. Managers need to be aware that not all of their employees will be the right fit for working remotely. The few people that should work remotely have proven themselves through their work.
5. Working from home could eliminate the need for childcare.
Have you ever brought your child to the office (not counting bring your kid to work day, of course)? You probably couldn’t imagine your child running around your office. So why would you want that distraction working at home. It could seem like a best-of-both-worlds circumstance – combining being a working parent and stay-at-home with your kids.
6. Working from home cuts costs.
Although you may have less overhead, you will sacrifice productivity and employee output (see myth #1). Working from home could lead to a much larger sacrifice than just saving some money.
7. It’s better for your work-life balance.
When you work a more traditional 9-5 (nowadays it’s more like 8-6) work day, when you leave at the end of the day work stays at the office. This is not the case when your home life and your work life are one in the same. Work-life balance is so important to the success
8. You will get all your home projects done.
Please always remember who is paying you and what they are paying you to do. If you work remotely, and making the same amount of money as you would in-office, you should produce the same amount of results as in-office. You may think your house will be cleaner and more organized, but that is just another distraction from your work.
9. You’ll save money on food and lunch.
After some time, you will feel cooped up in your own home. You will actually end up going out more than you normally would, just to get out of your house.
10. You can keep up with team communication.
When you aren’t in the office, you may miss some important memos or information pertinent to your job. You may miss more than just water-cooler talk and your job may suffer. Keeping up with important, and relevant, information will end up taking extra effort than if you were in the office.
Working from home may seem like a nice alternative to going into the office. But when you keep in mind all of the truths behind these common myths, you should think twice before moving your office home.
