What Does “Work From Anywhere Mean”? Why and When Should Companies Consider This Concept?
The phrase “work from anywhere” is being thrown around a lot these days, especially as we near the return to the office. When the pandemic is “over”, many businesses will have to make the difficult decision on whether employees should return back to the office or not. However, it doesn’t need to be this complicated. Working from anywhere means exactly as it sounds, “working from anywhere”, whether that’s at home, in the office, or even at a third space like a coffee shop. One might also refer to this as a “flexible workspace”, meaning an employee can choose to accomplish their work wherever they so choose.
It’s Not Complicated. Work From Anywhere Means As It Sounds
Businesses shouldn’t make the return to normalcy complicated. BOS often talks about adopting flexible workspaces as the right move to make moving forward post-pandemic, and this extends to a working from anywhere policy. Working from anywhere will allow the greatest flexibility and will also let businesses be able to adapt on the fly whenever needed.
“Work from anywhere means you can do your job description efficiently from the office, your home, a coffee shop, a job site etc. Companies should consider this as an option for their employees as they build new work spaces.”
Consider Your People
The very definition of how employees get their work done is changing every day. Some work better at home with no distractions, others prefer collaboration in an office, while some enjoy the liveness of a coffee shop. No matter the preference, there’ no denying that offering a comfortable place to work will increase efficiencies amongst employees. Who doesn’t love getting more work done?
“This is somewhat of a nomadic approach to how and where employees work. This provides the most flexibility And allows employees to work from coffee shops, libraries and other open social spaces along with the ability to work from home and office.”
Attracting Top Talent Will Rely On Working From Anywhere
Businesses use many tactics and perks in order to bring in top talent to their office. From benefits like PTO, healthcare, office perks and the like, the newest perk that many people will seek when looking for work is if a business will allow working from anywhere. Recruiting top talent from across the country instead of locally opens the doors to many possibilities when bringing in talent, and doing so can have many impactful benefits like greatly boosting workplace culture.
“Work From Anywhere” is a new popular work style that can mean anything from working remotely, to working partially in the office, to freely working when and where employees desire. This largely varies by organization and role within the company. I think that organizations who are considering this should evaluate the pros and cons of this work style and how it fits into their organization. For example, a sales department may find it beneficial to have a hybrid of working remotely and in the office. A company with dedicated business hours for customer service will likely need to abide by those hours, or have a team that is scheduled at that time.
The Change Will Have To Be Made Sooner Rather Than Later
If there is one thing the pandemic has proven within the workspace is that many jobs that were once thought of as “not capable of being remote” are indeed able to be done elsewhere. This has huge implications, as it allows flexibility to be had in the workplace. A sales person can now conduct remote conference calls via digital technology instead of having to travel to somewhere, for instance.
“Work from anywhere means a person is able to effectively perform their job from a variety of locations – the office, the home, a thirdspace (like a coffee shop or airport). The pandemic has exposed the need for companies to enable their teams to be productive wherever they may be.”
