In a recent live stream, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced that he predicts 50% of Facebook’s 50,000 employees will be permanently working remotely within the next 10 years.
Working from home is an unexpected new reality that countless people globally have had to face since COVID-19 started wreaking havoc in December of last year. Suddenly the mundane routine of commuting to an office has become a luxury most of us cannot afford.
It’s no wonder that Facebook has been hit pretty hard by this new way of working. Majority of their U.S based work force is in commuting distance from their main office in Menlo Park, California. So moving such a large workforce to remote working is a pretty big shift to say the least.
Zuckerberg said that this new way of life has received mixed responses. Some people finding themselves to be more productive and enjoying the adjustment, while others prefer the community and contact that office-based work provides.
These polar opinions are ones shared outside of Facebook’s walls. Even here in Perth, countless jobs have been asked to work from home where possible.
Working from home has its perks and downfalls. Suddenly the hours spent sitting in traffic no longer exist. Who can say no to the comfort of your own home? And many people have reported that they have been more productive with this new set up. However, the lack of routine,structure and human contact can be challenging. Not to mention the temptation of distraction.
Zuckerberg’s decision to continue the trajectory of having more people working from home even once life returns to normal is surprising. He claims that it’s not a money saving tactic, however there is obvious financial perks to having staff work remotely.He puts it down to the benefits of being able to have a more diverse staff base because physical location is no longer a factor. Also for those who have found themselves to be more productive, they can continue to do so.
Here at Crib, we are fortunate enough to have a big office space with a relatively small number of staff, so have been able to safely work from the office throughout the worst of this storm. For us, keeping the team together and keeping a sense of ‘normal’ was our saving grace. Although we are part of an extremely fortunate and small group of people that have been able to do so.
With massive company’s like Facebook claiming that there may be permanent changes going forward, it wouldn’t be surprising if other businesses follow lead.
How have you managed working remotely? And is it something that you would be more likely to do in the future? We would love to hear your thoughts!