Quote:
Originally Posted by PepsiFree
There is some interpersonal value to in-person work, but that’s entirely dependent on a culture that embraces that value in the first place. Team lunches, beers, bonding over idle chit chat, etc are all things that are easier in person, but I’ve found a pretty high correlation between managers who want to limit those things but also want people back at the office. And of course, you can have all of those things fully remote if you plan time for them.
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My company is moving to hybrid model next year. They were adamant how they have "researched" a bunch of studies saying how employees are more productive in the office (while conveniently ignoring the studies that say WFH is just as productive), under the guise of needing to rebuild social relationships.
At the same time, there are no more team lunches for birthdays, work anniversaries or team building. Almost no social events, outside of a random lowkey luncheon when a VP decides to fly in and spy on us. No more team building field trips to fun places. Even the xmas party is lame.
In the past when we had more of these events and lunches, those are the team building events I remember the most. Those were the social events that got me excited to hang out with my co-workers and see them in a more social setting. I miss looking forward to going for a colleague's birthday lunch somewhere and enjoying a few hours on the company's dime. I miss grand xmas parties that we still talk about years later. If the executives are so damn worried about us being friends with each other then maybe those the kind of social connections we should be building.
I remember nothing while chatting with Bob at the copy machine, or random chit chat with the receptionist. I don't build true connections with my colleagues when we sit beside each other in the cubicles. I find it pretty dumb how the company insists we all sit together in the office to bond with each other, yet something simple like sharing a meal with your team is infinitely more beneficial and memorable then sitting beside each other at a desk with headphones on and there's never money for that.