The Remote Work Dynamic – A Matter Of Perspective

There is no disputing the world in which we work has changed dramatically over the last eighteen months. Essential versus non-essential, socially distanced, Zoom calls, government shutdowns, mask mandates and vaccine certificates are now common buzzwords which have created a complicated maze for employers and employees alike.  These workplace changes have resulted in considerable controversy and a multitude of impassioned thoughts as we continue our climb out of Covid-19.

Nowhere is the current workplace debate more pronounced and controversial than in regards to whether employees should be required to return to the workplace. Whether it be one hundred percent remote, hybrid or full time in the office there are no shortage of opinions on the optimal path moving forward.

Over the last several months, TEWS’ leadership team had lengthy discussions about what an optimal return to work plan should look like. While I played a significant role in those discussions, I also was intentional about listening to what others around the table believed was best for both the company and our employees in the long term. Those discussions and our experience over the last eighteen months led me to the following conclusions about the advantages and disadvantages of these workplace models and its impact on our business and team members.

In The Office

With the exception of our business development team, TEWS historically expected employees to be in the office five days a week. We developed a strong and unique company culture in the office and the tenure of our team was envied by many of our competitors in the market. That tenure served us well as a unique differentiator when servicing clients and calling on new potential accounts. Our divisional teams met daily to review and update new positions and to discuss pressing operational issues. We celebrated birthdays, work anniversaries and personally recognized employees with a “Kudos” award in staff meetings when their performance went above and beyond. The company was profitable, we had a positive work environment and our team generally seemed to enjoy coming to work most days —- it seemed we had developed the perfect combination of productivity and work life balance. Perhaps (somewhat arrogantly) leadership assumed we had one of top work environments in our industry —- or did we?

What lay beneath the positives of the environment we had so carefully created were real challenges in hiring new talent for our internal needs. On several occasions, we devoted significant time and resources to promising candidates but were unable to hire them given their desire for a more flexible work arrangement. In addition, there was dissension bubbling up within our internal staff. While all three divisions provide the same scope of services, overall volume, pace and time sensitivity varies greatly between the divisions. While one division may slow down significantly at 5:00 pm, another may be ramping up reaching out candidates in another time zone or leaving the office for their nightly commute home. As a result, employees in some areas of the company had more flexibility with their daily schedules than others.

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100% Remote

Prior to Covid, I could have never imagined a scenario in which our entire staff would work fully remote. Our business moves very quickly and there was simply no way we could operate effectively out of the office — or so I thought! On March 13, 2020, the Mayor of Orange County extended a mandatory shut down of all non-essential offices. Within the course of a weekend, we were a fully remote organization and the results were much better than I anticipated. Team meetings replaced staff meetings, face-to-face interviews and client intake calls went virtual and company events consisted of mixing your favorite cocktail at home and connecting in at 5:00 pm! Employees seemed to enjoy not having to be in the office every morning and clients and candidates were being serviced efficiently so all was good with a 100% remote model —- or was it?

One of the key differentiators at TEWS is the tenure of our internal team. We’re extremely selective about who we hire, and as a result have a strong company culture. We celebrate big wins and prop each other up on days when nothing seems to be going right. But what happens when there’s no one around to celebrate that big victory or serve as a sounding board when you’re experiencing burnout or having challenges with a client or candidate? As time moved on what we experienced was that overall morale began to decline rapidly. Small problems became larger ones, issues discussed more easily in person weren’t brought up virtually, and attempts to improve employee morale over the web were simply not effective. In addition, new employees hired immediately preceding the pandemic struggled to adapt to an environment and culture where getting to know your coworkers was mostly comprised of a twenty-minute Team call each morning.

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Hybrid Model

In July 2021, after considerable discussion, TEWS adopted a hybrid work model consisting of two days in the office and three days remote for our Orlando-based staff. While some of our leadership team advocated for more office days, others would have likely preferred we continue 100% remote. Early indications with our new hybrid workplace model appear positive. We’ve hired two new producers out of market, and days in the office bring lively discussion, brainstorming, congratulations and “We’ll get ‘em next time” conversation throughout the day. There’s a renewed energy and a buzz that you just can’t replicate remotely.

What we are left with is compromise and a beta test to determine if this model is sustainable for the long term or a passing fad that dissipates once Covid is no longer. What is clear to me after eighteen months is that no workplace model is perfect — and perhaps no model is better than another. What you gain in one area may very well be lost in another.

At the end of the day, our primary objective at TEWS remains – growing the company while continuing to improve our culture. That’s a goal we all share regardless of whether you are in the office, working fully remote or perhaps somewhere in between.