Since the wake of the pandemic, C-suite executives and their employees have argued and debated the concept of working from home (WFH) or a hybrid model (work at home some of the time) as opposed to the traditional five days a week in the office.
The argument continued after the waning of Covid-19 and into the re-emergence of everyday life post-Covid.
Nearly three years later, this argument hasn’t subsided and has continued to make major headlines. This week after another wave of mass layoffs at Meta, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the ‘year of efficiency’ and further hinted about changes to their remote work policy.
A primary concern voiced among many CEOs is that a work-from-home culture is less efficient while working in the office creates a more collaborative environment that makes their companies thrive. Employees have argued that going into the office five days a week (or at all) is unnecessary if they can attend all their meetings, communicate with their co-workers, and do all their tasks remotely. Some CEOs agreed, noting an increase in productivity, and found that not leasing an office space would cut costs, while others have regretted their decisions.
Ultimately, there has been a range of opinions raised and conclusions made on the matter. I’ve come to my own conclusion, having started my professional career during the pandemic.
Yes - those like me who started out in entry-level positions within the last three years are at a disadvantage in comparison to our senior peers. While remote work is certainly convenient, it comes with its faults. One being that the learning curve can be much steeper. Most cannot receive the same mentorship you’d find in an in-person environment, nor do you have the accessibility to these senior co-workers when you need help learning how to do new tasks.
In a remote environment, they won’t be as noticeable, let alone appreciated in comparison to working in an office. Learning how to start a full-time career from a laptop at home isn’t as practical for most as physically showing up to a location where you have an abundant amount of resources to help and show you the ropes.
Marc Andressen, Co-Founder & CEO of major Venture-Capital firm Andressen Horrowitz stated that young remote-workers are “cut off from everything,” and are robbed of work-relationships and opportunities. While some young workers could potentially thrive in a remote role, it will have implications for most and we will likely see the difference between Gen X vs Gen Z in years to come.
What do you think? Are young workers missing out? What sort of an impact will beginning a career on a laptop at home have on this generation of workers?