We are back - sort of!
Last week saw our partial return to the office in Banbridge with just Robbie & Gareth back in.
As we have 4 rooms we can afford to have 1 person per room so it's ideal that we have a staged return back to work. Our other team members will work remotely from home and come in on alternate days and we also hope to have 'spacious' team meetings in person at the office - safety willing!
How do we feel about going back to the office?
Some of the big players have made their position clear, with Google announcing that their staff will work from home until the end of 2020 and Twitter announcing that they are going to allow their workforce to work from home indefinitely.
We will be taking a mid-line on this as we see a benefit for both working from home and in the office and we take every one of our team's situations independently - for example childcare, travel restrictions, preferred working hours and so forth.
Do we think we should close the office?
We have noticed some agencies have closed their offices completely - with huge cost savings on overheads, however we can see huge benefits in having an office base:
Increased Productivity
Zoom was great initially but it somehow prevents teams from interacting efficiently - for example coming over to a desk to help out a colleague or having a quick word whilst something is in your head. Plus it's in our own nature to get distracted by matters in the home which wouldn't be the case in the office.
Teamwork
Solving problems is a challenge remotely - it's far easier to go over to someones desk to ask for help - now its - Zoom meeting, share screen etc etc. - lots of barriers.
Motivation
Less craic! Slack is great for witty conversations but sometimes you just need to sit down with someone and share some concerns and worries - you can feel like it's just you that finds something difficult when in fact everyone has their own concerns.
Customers
It's good to have a place where customers can see and meet the team to see all the aspects of what we do as an agency. We feel that essential in our business and builds trust with clients (they know where to find us!)
What do the RANE team say?
"It's great to get back to some sort of normality all be it social distanced, I didn't realise how much I missed the office until it was taken away from me."Robbie
"Working from home allows you to build websites in a stress free environment."Michael
"Zoom meetings, phone calls and instant messaging - our team are in constant communication with each other and our clients. Although some of our team are back in the office, a few are still working at home, but the amazing thing is we are all working TOGETHER!"Amy
"Working from home during lockdown gave me a chance to experience work in a different way than normal. It took a while to establish a routine that worked for me with 3 kids at home needing home schooling and a wife working in the NHS. Now that I am back in the office I can see the benefits of both. While I have enjoyed my time at home (and the challenges that went with that) I like the structure and routine of being in the office and being able to chat directly with people when they are here.Gareth
Conclusion
The future at RANE - come in to the office when you can depending your personal situation - better to have a motivated team!
We will be having regular meet ups in person with all of us together from time to time - but at a safe distance!