A core feature of life during the Covid-19 pandemic has been the wide adoption of remote working. While at first many of us relished the opportunity to forgo the morning commute and spend more time with family, after over a year of home working, it is fair to say some are starting to miss certain aspects of office life.
Stranger still, many have started new jobs during the pandemic and to this day have never stepped foot in their employer’s office. To find out more, we caught up with some members of the Sapience team to see what they miss most about the office.
Sasha Johnson, Account Director:
‘I actually haven’t been in an office since July 2018, so this is almost ancient history for me! Personally, strolls around the City at lunch and the occasional meetup with friends who work nearby is what I miss the most – it can be a real welcome change of pace.’
Indeed, Sapience client Office Space in Town’s recent survey looking at the impact of working from home on employees found that 52% felt that this working style didn’t improve their work-life balance. In this way, many businesses are viewing a shift to hybrid work styles as a happy middle-ground for employers and employees.
While some of us have our reservations about returning:
Patrick Sayers, Account Executive:
‘I certainly do not miss arriving down at reception only to realise I’ve left my key card on my desk three floors above!’
Many agree that collaboration and easy communication amongst team members is one of the valued benefits of office life:
Jess Tabaqchali, Account Director:
‘Bouncing ideas off one another and developing closer bonds is something I definitely miss the most – aside from the coffee breaks and office banter of course!’
Ella Hatfield, Senior Account Executive:
‘I’ve always valued the ability to learn from colleagues and pass knowledge on to newer joiners. This can be difficult when working from home, with video and phone calls missing the face-to-face interaction so important to teamwork.’
That said, our chats with the team did seem to highlight that food has very much been on the mind…
Olivia Smith, Digital Marketing Executive:
‘Although I would say I miss the commute the most as I find it a great way to get myself in the right headspace for the day, I am very much looking forward to being able to go out for lunch again with colleagues and enjoy the variety of great food spots our offices are close to.’
Louis Hogan, Account Manager:
‘Who isn’t missing the post-work pint with your team after a long week and those all-important client lunches?’
Strangely, and this appears to ring true for many firms, as businesses have welcomed new employees during the pandemic, these workers face returning to entirely new surroundings despite the possibility that they have been working at their respective companies for almost a year!
Josh Travers, Junior Account Executive:
‘It’s a bit of a struggle to think of what I miss the most – I think to start with, it would be nice just to see my colleagues in the flesh for the first time… 9 months or more into the job.’
Louie Murphy, Account Executive:
‘Since joining Sapience in the Autumn of 2020, there have been so many new arrivals. While Teams is a great way to speak face-to-face, it is a little strange not knowing how tall anyone really is…’
Working from home has been quite the experience for us all and learning to adapt to such a new style of work has certainly had its challenges, but we’ve been able to continue our great work. However, as restrictions ease and plans for a shift to hybrid working materialise, there is definitely a lot to look forward to in the months ahead – especially those all-important lunches out!
If you’re looking for experience in the world of comms and digital marketing or you’re a skilled SAM/AD looking for a company where every idea counts, then email your CV to recruitment@sapiencecomms.co.uk and find information about Sapience Communications here.
