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3 popular remote work myths debunked

3 popular remote work myths debunked

Apr 26, 2023

5 mins read

Future of Work

For many individuals, remote work has afforded them the work-life balance they’ve always been wanting, at least that’s what a recent study discovered. It also provided work opportunities for those who did not have them in an in-office setting. So, it’s probably no surprise that 78% of current remote workers in the United States want to continue working remotely.  

But as the song sort of goes: we can’t always get what we want. Well, at least according to the increasing number of companies enforcing return-to-office policies

With research pointing toward a significant increase in productivity, coupled with a higher level of happiness at work, these corporate return-to-office demands seem unfounded and archaic. Perhaps this movement has more to do with real estate issues than it does with actual employee performance. 

Either way, many inaccuracies about remote work exist and are often perpetuated, which could potentially contribute to false assumptions. As companies continue to do battle with employees over where they need to work, it’s important to clear up remote work myths that might exist. 

Myth #1: Building a work culture needs to be done in person. 

Well, Flexspace begs to differ. We’ve worked for several years now with a global distributed workforce, spread across the United States and the globe. It’s certainly not as easy to build a work culture when your employees are not in one place and at one time. But, with intention and attention, it can absolutely be built, and even better, it can thrive. How? Through specific communication systems, through carefully-chosen and flexible “hours of business,” and all-hands work weeks, where teams get together in person to collaborate personally and professionally. The truth is that having a distributed workforce allowed us to build Flexspace to what it is today; without it – we might have been a completely different company. 

And we’re not the only ones. The number of global remote-first organizations is growing rapidly, because they understand that with systems in place, you can build a thriving work culture from anywhere, and you now have access to a talented team to help you do it.

Myth #2: You can’t be collaborative when you work remotely.

It’s true that working remotely does present challenges for collaboration. Simply turning around to chat with a colleague, or grabbing a few of your peers to meet in the conference down the hall is much easier. But thankfully, technology has changed the way we interact as humans. 

With various programs and software, we are able to meet via video conferencing, and chat with colleagues from everywhere and anywhere, at any time we need. While we may not be sitting next to each other in a board room, we are doing that virtually. 

Myth #3: Meaningful connections cannot be fostered with remote work. 

If couples, even those who live on opposite sides of the world, are able to form close relationships through various technologies and apps, then there’s no reason why work colleagues cannot form meaningful relationships while working remotely. With various technological tools at our fingertips, anything is possible. Many connections have not only been built, but have thrived, without an actual physical office. Again, it requires intention and in some cases, planned events, but with thoughtful consideration, virtual connections are as strong, if not stronger, than those forged through in-person interaction. 

It’s important to note that remote workers do need the opportunity to collaborate and connect with their team in an in-person setting. And co-working spaces make that totally possible and very affordable. 

In fact, that’s one of the reasons why we started Flexspace: to help companies drive employee engagement by providing them and their employees with a free on-demand workspace platform that allows them to seamlessly book coworking spaces with real-time availability.

Whether it’s for daily or weekly personal use, or for connecting with other team members or clients within a meeting or conference setting, Flexspace helps companies provide intentional opportunities for connection, collaboration, and culture-building. 

Remote work doesn’t mean that in-person meetings and collaborative environments aren’t necessary. It just means that you know that the in-person opportunities need to be thoughtful and intentional because you can no longer rely on the water cooler, the break room, or the board room to do that work for you.

Schedule a demo with us today!

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