Time To Be Honest About “Hybrid” Work Environments

Only a few years ago, Google and other organizations were making waves with the construction of full-on campuses for their team members. Huge institutions with gyms, premier dining options, coworking environments, and more were plastered everywhere. These sites served as a contributing factor in the gathering of elite talent from all over the world. But, times have changed.

Physical offices used to be a symbol of status, of validity. Were you truly a respectable organization if you had no spot to call your own? The answer may have differed in the past, but nowadays, the death of office work has become prevalent. An organization without a physical office is just as credible as one with massive sites worldwide. Businesses that were fully remote during the COVID-19 pandemic are struggling to get their people back into the office, and it goes back to this antiquated philosophy of needing a physical space for work to get done

We never bought into that thought process. We’ve been remote since our inception in 2014, and as organizations scrambled to adapt to an increased gig economy and a rising desire to work from home, we went about business as usual. Our consistent growth over the years has enabled us to face and overcome obstacles we’d never seen before, all while being remote. This isn’t new to us; it’s what we’re used to. The learning curve for others hasn’t been so easy.

Productivity Isn’t A Measurement Of Success

There is still this invasive thought process amongst executives that productivity only reaches its peak in an office environment. Such a position was laughable previously and continues to live in a fantasy realm for those spending who knows how much on expensive office spaces. If it only takes a team member four hours to complete their necessary work for the day, is the expectation that they waste their time at an office doing nothing?

Productivity means nothing when there are no tangible outcomes associated with it. That’s always been our philosophy. As long as you create positive outcomes for yourself, your team members, the project, and the organization, then that’s all that matters. There’s no need to spend time on something that doesn’t warrant it. It’s up to the organization to provide people with fulfilling work, not the other way around. The communication of these expectations to think’ers across the globe has been hugely beneficial to our success and the expertise we provide to our clients. Vanity deliverables and busy work aren’t what we’re looking for, and our team members appreciate the candor.

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The Flexibility Factor

There’s another huge boon to working remotely that can make the transition back into the office truly miserable. Flexibility. Need to go to an appointment? Well, if you work from home that’s easy enough. Have to take a vehicle in for maintenance? Again, a simple ask for someone with the flexibility of WFH.

This is why we stand by the remote philosophy. Sometimes life gets in the way, and there’s no point in making someone choose between professional and personal fulfillment. Just offer both, it’s not rocket science.

By working remotely, think’ers have the freedom to set their own schedules and work from any location. This flexibility allows them to achieve a better work-life balance, eliminating long commutes and giving them more time to focus on their personal lives. They have the freedom to create a workspace that promotes their productivity and comfort. Whether it's working in a quiet home office, a cozy coffee shop, or even in a different country while traveling, remote work provides the flexibility to accommodate different lifestyles and personal circumstances. It’s a solution that works for each team member, regardless of their role, responsibilities, or location. That’s why we’ve embraced remote work from the start, not as a stop-gap solution we’ll only embrace temporarily.

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When Will Executives Catch On?

The shift away from traditional office spaces is reshaping the way software developers approach their careers. The flexibility, increased productivity, access to global opportunities, and focus on work-life balance and well-being offered by remote work are enticing more and more developers to break free from the confines of an office. As the digital landscape continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see even greater numbers of software developers embracing remote work as the new norm.

We’re hopeful this new norm continues to spread and be embraced globally. Considering these advantages impact the organization and its people comprehensively, there’s no reason to stay in antiquity. Employers everywhere are learning that to get the most out of modern professionals, modernity must be embraced in all aspects. That includes the work environment and the associated expectations.

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