Leveraging “Single Office Home Office”
The typical corporate office consists of a sea of cubicles and if you’re lucky enough you may even have a view of your office parking lot to save you from the dim of the fluorescent lights. With the endless ways to connect remotely there is a better way to work.
Remote workspaces are more comfortable and inviting and allow the worker to escape the day-to-day office drudgery and distractions. They are customizable and efficient, can be configured to increase productivity, and serve as a morale booster. Instead of using the terms “work from home” or “telecommuting” we defined this as Single Office Home Office or “SOHO” and there are important distinctions to make.
Simply put, Single Office Home Office is about creating a workspace that is outside the traditional corporate cubicle environment. With its origins in IT, the idea is that within a team there are small offices or workspaces that create a network to support modern workflow and projects. This is in contrast to traditional “telecommuting” in that the modern “virtual office” is about a team dynamic rather than just a convenience for one employee. Furthermore, companies recognize that unlike in the mid-90s the infrastructure needed to support this concept is readily available and becoming more advanced.
Still, this concept raises concerns for some organizations. Will employees be less productive working remotely? Will remote working isolate employees?
A recent study of over 24,000 workers across 12 countries reveals three key trends (Segalllp.com):
62% of the global working population currently takes advantage of flexible working practices.
98% say being able to work from anywhere boosts performance.
92% say they believe video conferencing or collaboration helps improve workplace relationships and teamwork.
Guidelines for Success
Single Office Home Office is not a new concept, but there has been steadily increasing interest and adoption over the past decade. Many organizations have even developed specific policies for remote working. While working outside of the corporate office can be more comfortable for the employee, it’s important to realize that for this to be an effective strategy several guidelines that must be adhered to.
A Designated Space
It is important to have a separate and designated area as the “office”. Working remotely does not mean sitting at a kitchen table with laptop open while eating Cheetos and watching Days of Our Lives. There should be a designated space for the specific purpose of work. It does not have to necessarily be a separate room, although this is preferred, but rather a clean desk space that is comfortable and mentally sets the tone for “work time”.
Proper Peripherals and Technology
Once there is a specific area chosen for the desk, there should be proper technology and peripherals used. Working with a trackpad and small laptop monitor can be limiting, so it is recommended that a minimum a separate monitor, mouse, and keyboard are connected. Also important is a headset for making hands free calls. This is a necessity especially for long conference calls and screen shares. Even the most minimalistic set up goes a long way to create an atmosphere of an office rather than simply a casual work environment.
Communication Between Team Members
A main benefit of SOHO is that an out of office workspace serves to decrease distractions so that individual project work and tasks can be completed more efficiently. However, it is paramount that there is an established way for instant communication between team members so that collaboration can take place within the SOHO team network. There are a variety of options like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx, and GoToMeeting, but whatever you choose make sure that there is an ability to make calls, send instant messages, share files, and host web conferences.
SOHO Schedule
This is perhaps the most critical part of creating a successful SOHO network. Scheduling the proper times for SOHO is a top priority and the largest distinction in most mainstream thoughts on remote work. We believe that SOHO has its place, but that it should be strategically scheduled so that there is a balance between face-to-face team time and time at the virtual office.
The SOHO schedule should be set to be consistent each week. This way employees recognize a cadence of when the team will be available in person and when they will be remote. Scattering the days of SOHO time only serves to create confusion among teammates and other employees.
When considering SOHO days, we recommended staying away from Mondays and Fridays. These are days of the week that could potentially cause other work groups to feel that the team is taking advantage and cause negative feelings. Moreover, staggering the days of the week creates a rhythm for in person team meetings at the beginning of the week to level set goals to be completed and also an in person meeting at the end of the week to review progress and milestones achieved. Two days in the office, followed by two SOHO days, and back in the office on Friday serves this purpose well.
Earning SOHO
Not every position in a company is right for Single Office Home Office, and not every employee is right either. It takes discipline and maturity to be able work SOHO and can also be a double-edged sword. Many team members find that when working from their virtual offices they will start earlier and end later because they can skip the commute and work from the comfort of their own space. In order for success in this strategy SOHO should be treated as a responsibility and benefit rather than a reward.
Telecommuting: A Business Strategy, not a Perk
Great talent isn’t always located within a reasonable driving distance to where your organization is based. Some of the most talent employees that you will find could be located hundreds, or even thousands of miles away.
Attract and Retain Top Talent
Offering employees that option to work remotely either part- or full-time is a proven way to retain top talent. Companies such as Xerox, Dell, and Aetna echo this strategy, and not just as a “nice-to-have” perk for their employees; they consider it imperative to stay competitive in the modern workplace environment.
Benefits: Employees, Employer, Environment
Remote-work policies are not only beneficial for employees. Companies who have successfully implemented “work-from-home” policies have seen great benefits, both in productivity and on the books:
Dell has seen the highest engagement and satisfaction levels from employees that are given telecommuting options. Aetna has saved between 15% to 25% on their real estate costs, and in one year, reduced their carbon footprint by preventing employees from driving 127 million miles, which saved 5.3 million gallons of gas, and reduced CO2 emissions by 46,700 metric tons.
Productivity
Besides some of these obvious benefits, some employers may find themselves hesitant to offer such policies, believing that productivity may suffer, however, data shows it’s just the opposite. And, speaking personally, having the flexibility to work from my own space is incredibly beneficial when it comes to cutting out the distractions of the office, and being able to get “in the zone”, making me more productive.
The Millennial Workforce
Millennials are now the nation’s largest generation in the workforce, according to Pew Research, and are demanding flexible work schedules to achieve a better work-life balance.