Coworkers and strangers in the downtown high rise pack up cords and put away keyboards, shuffling into shared elevators with all of their office equipment. Nervous laughter fills the air as everyone tries to wrap their heads around these “unprecedented times” and working from home for the next two weeks. Now, we’re fast approaching the anniversary of that day and of working from home. “Coming from an employee who used to commute an hour to an hour and a half both ways, I was excited to work from home,” said Taylor Bilthuis, Senior Recruitment Manager. “Working from home definitely has its pros and cons, you just have to learn how you can be successful within any situation or environment that you’re in.”
Working from home not only became the norm, but it has now redefined how offices and office careers can operate moving forward. Just this month, Spotify announced that employees have the choice to work in-office, from a less formal coworking space or home. In an article on Business Insider, Spotify’s head of diversity and inclusion Travis Robinson said “that the move would promote work-life balance, employee happiness, and inclusion. It’s going to help the company attract talent regardless of location.”
After companies innovated and processes were adapted, starting a new job remotely is a reality that many employees have experienced. “Recruiting is about making a connection with and helping someone find the best opportunity for themself, you can do it in-person and virtually,” said Taylor Bilthuis. She helped to hire several employees in 2020, including Account Executive Zach Kahle. “The training process was as seamless as possible even with the hurdles of working from home. We are doing everything we can to foster communication amongst the company given that we don’t get to see each other every day,” said Kahle.
While the learning curve to working from home may have been steep, the lessons learned and routines adopted are invaluable. “Working from home has had its benefits and challenges, but overall it’s been a positive experience! I’m a big believer in keeping up with your routine as much as possible to set yourself up for a successful day,” said Natalie Overfelt, Director of Sales Training.
Even small adjustments like where you work inside your home can make for a more successful workflow from home. “I would advise my past self to set up a dedicated working space sooner rather than later,” said Hannah Endres, Director of Sales Training. “At the beginning, I would pick a random spot in my house to work from each day. As the weeks went on and we realized that we’d be working from home for a longer duration than initially anticipated, setting up a dedicated working space helped me mentally separate ‘work mode’ from ‘home mode’ a lot better.”
Information for today’s blog came from Business Insider. See our “2020 at a Glance” one-sheeter to see what we accomplished while working from home, and our “Influencer Marketing” one-sheeter to see the latest updates to our offering. Follow us on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends!
