Is working from home as productive as working in the office? Here is what a number of professionals using the LinkedIn thought:
“Totally dependent on 2 things:
- Set up – I have consultants that have work areas with lockable doors, better internet connections than in the office and do not have the interruptions or endless meetings that some companies generate.
- Attitude – Better 4 hours focused work than 8 hours of bits and pieces. A plan and the ability to stick to a plan (managing interruptions and getting out of their pyjamas early enough) means it can be as good if not better than the office.
Summary – I think it can work well, but the office, if managed correctly can provide benefits of teamwork, cross networking, overhearing leads, positive motivation and accessible help. Its all about how its managed not where you are.”
“Your focus is the key to being as productive at home as you might be at the office. There may be some equipment issues, but those can be resolved.If you are the type that likes to work alone, working from home may be as productive, or more so. If you have to have people around you, are very extroverted, this can be a drawback for working at home.”
“I think it has a lot to do with the individual. I am a hardworking employee in the office but I had about six months that I had to work from home (medical reason) and I was not productive at all. I don’t have the concentration. Too many things distract me. I work better in my office where all I have to focus on is work.”
“I think that I could work from home and be productive. That being said, I don’t think that I would jump into allowing employees the option without serious thought. I have found that those employees who cannot do their work from home can become bitter and you don’t want to lose those employees as well as morale and culture changes will probably occur if “work from home” is introduced.”
“This is likely a combination of personal preference, the role itself and one’s ability to self motivate and self manage. I prefer to be around people but have found in some roles that taking a day or two occasionally to work at home allowed me to finish project work that required absolute concentration in a much shorter time frame. Now that I mostly work at home, I set up meetings most days for lunch/coffee so I get my preference to bounce ideas off others fulfilled as well.”
“Working in the office is far more productive. It is certainly cheaper for individuals without the overhead cost of keeping warm at home and unwanted distraction from friends and family. It is only productive if it is convenient for individuals in special circumstances e.g. bad weather snow/icy condition on roads.”
“I think it depends on several factors:
- The work ethics and work habits of the person…this varies from one person to the next. (some people thrive in an environment of having others around for help in generating ideas, motivation by seeing others working hard, dressing in professional attire versus sitting at home in your sweatpants, etc.)
- The nature of the work. Some work may require more concentration than others and the slightest distraction could affect the output of the work.
- The set up of the home office environment and the presence of outside distractions (home life situation…kids, no kids, pets, other house mates).”
“It all depends. As much as I sometimes would like to shut out all the hustle and bustle in the office while working on a time-sensitive project I have to concentrate on, I would surely miss it if I had to work from home all the time. It sure is nice to have that opportunity during severe weather conditions for example. Also, instead of incurring overtime, I sometimes simply worked from home to get it done without interruptions in a shorter period of time.”
“For over 7 years I worked successfully from home as the safety manager for a semiconductor equipment manufacturer. I was able to build an effective safety management system and safety culture all while working remotely, travelling only 3 times during this 7 year period. I was successful because I worked for a Director of HR that trusted me and gave me the latitude to do my job and by developing a network of other employees that believed in the importance of safety.”
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