One thing's for sure: Not everyone wants to go back to the office

As society recovers in fits and starts from the COVID-19 pandemic, the question remains of how the changes of the past year and a half will affect the workplace.

It looks like there may be a generational response to going back to the office. The New York Times in an article last week talked to people who said it seemed like the decision pits older managers who like the structure of the office setting with younger employees who have come to see remote work as normal during the pandemic.

One new business analyst of my acquaintance is perfectly happy with working from home and does not look forward to a return to the office. He has never been to the corporate office and has not met his managers in person, not even during the interview process.

Another knowledge worker also new to the workforce, more outgoing and ambitious, would prefer to work from the office and no doubt will if and when that option becomes available.

Some executives have told me they are structuring their workplaces to not give advantages to those who come in physically over those who work from home. Specifically, employees at the office must connect to the network as if they are working from home, rather than inside the corporate firewall.

There are precedents for "long-term telecommuting," as it was formerly known. Some companies are famous for working alongside co-workers for years without ever meeting them in person.

The ultimate question is whether telecommuting or working from the office is more efficient, or some hybrid such as working from the office three days a week.

The two to three hours saved by not going to the office (getting formally or semiformally dressed, plus total commute) is time that can be spent working or simply having a better quality of life, resulting in more efficient performance during working hours.

The trend toward working from home was slowly growing even before the pandemic. But the assumption that knowledge workers need to be managed in person to be productive has been effectively demolished.

Isaac Cheifetz is a Twin Cities executive recruiter and strategic résumé consultant. Reach him through his website, catalytic1.com.