Why WFH Is A Bad Idea For The Newbie
Photo by Mark Olsen on Unsplash
We’re at that time of year when young adults emerge from college, armed with their degrees and ready to enter the working world. For most, this is their first real job and they’re both excited and nervous.
In addition, they’re also entering the workforce right in the midst of all the debates about work from home (WFH) has some real benefits but also poses real challenges for the new entrant.
Yes, I know WFH is all the rage, whether in its full form or in hybrid mode, and I’ve absolutely nothing against it. I wasn’t a proponent of it for many years, the pandemic changed my views and I’ve certainly become a convert since. The flexibility, the cost and time savings as well as the ability to manage work-life balance are really great benefits.
But those benefits scale better, frankly, the older and more experienced you are. As a fresh graduate, you have no network, no shared experiences with your colleagues, and no learned ability to navigate corporate structures.
So, if you’re a fresh graduate (or a young adult new to an organization and with no credible market standing), here’s my advice for you:
Forget WFH. Yes, I know the ability to wake up right before your first meeting and work in your pajamas is enticing, but you’re not going to build a reputation as “that person I see on a Zoom call every now and then”. Not only that, the practice of getting ready for and going to work is a good discipline in and of itself.
Make a list of key people in your team, department and organization and develop a structured plan to get to know them. You need folks who will know and remember who you are and what your value is. And, yes, these should be face to face (see #1 above).
Get involved in key initiatives at your firm. If there are work projects outside the scope of your direct line of work and you can help, offer yourself up. You’ll learn some cool things and become known as someone who digs in and helps. See and be seen (contributing).
Volunteer for everything. Get involved in social and community activities wherever you can. Not only will you see and be seen, but you’ll build deeper and better relationships with your colleagues. That will help both emotionally and professionally.
In some professional services firms, there’s the concept of “beach time”, when you’re between projects. Some see that as an opportunity to take it easy under the excuse of “when the project starts, I’ll be super busy”. Uh-uh. Beach time is an opportunity to build your reputation. See #3 above. When I was on the beach in my first three months of consulting, I worked on 12 proposals. I got to know a ton of senior folks and it served me well.
The common thread throughout the starter list above should be crystal: you can’t do any of the above really well, unless you’re in the office and meeting people regularly. You can’t get immersed in a company culture without being at the company.
And, yes, I appreciate there’s folks out there saying that you can build a culture with full WFH, you just have to think differently and try harder. I partially agree with it, because the world has changed in so many ways. But I simply don’t believe you can have the same outcomes - relationship-wise or culturally, unless you work with people face to face, grab a coffee, have lunch, and just shoot the shit around the office.
Consider this: If you have two equally capable people working with you, one of whom you see on a zoom call most of the time and in the office every so often, while the other is someone you work and interact with in-person almost daily, who do you think will be the go-to person for issues and opportunities? (Answer that honestly and not on the basis of how life should be.)
Look, WFH is great and we should leverage its benefits however we can. But it’s really way better when you’re more experienced. When you’re starting out, it’s best to treat it as a luxury - every now and then and not as a matter of practice.
