Translated from 日本語 • View original Due to the new coronavirus, a state of emergency was declared on April 6, and many companies began to work from home.
In May, except for prefectures with a large number of infected people, STAY HOME was gradually lifted, and since then, the ban on movement across prefectural borders and restaurants with entertainment has been lifted.
However, once again, the number of infected people in Tokyo has exceeded 30 per week, which is far higher than the "weekly average of 20 people or less", which is one of the guidelines for triggering alerts.
Looking back at the history of the fight against infectious diseases, there is a high possibility that there will be a second or third wave, and there will also be a period of time when we will have to return to STAY HOME.
At Colorkrew, remote work has been recommended since mid-February, and forced remote work since early April.
Putting aside the immediate issue of how long to continue in the current state, I would like to think about the future work style and what the office should be like from a management perspective.
Movements in the World
It seems that American IT giants such as Facebook and Google have already decided to allow full telecommuting until December of this year.
In addition, rents in Tokyo are high, and there is a movement to cancel offices using this as an opportunity.
The decision on whether or not to completely cancel the office will be decided by each company, but as a direction, we predict that offices will shrink on the premise that the proportion of people working from home will increase in the future.
No Way Back
First of all, as a prerequisite, I believe that it is impossible for us, who have experienced a world where video conferencing has become the norm due to remote work, to return to the way we worked before the pandemic.
The reason is simple: I learned the benefits of remote work.
So, if we are going to be in the current state (completely remote), some companies may decide that they don't need an office anymore, and I imagine that many companies will use a more real office and remote.
Benefits of Remote
No Commute Time
First of all, "no commuting time!" is the biggest advantage of remote work.
Riding a crowded train for tens of minutes to work is something that Japan (especially Tokyo) always thinks is "unbelievable" from overseas.
We are a little used to it, but if you think about it calmly, it is a completely inhumane time.
Many people may have realized that they were doing something unbelievable due to this forced remote work.
From a management perspective, I feel that there are many points in remote work that are positive for the health and mental health of employees by not wasting this kind of time.
Quiet Environment
This is the same with Colorkrew, but it is especially common among engineers.
When you want to focus on your tasks, remote is considered a good choice.
It may also mean that it is not only quiet, but also that you can do it to your liking.
From a management point of view, the advantage is that "productivity increases".
Become more results-conscious activities
It is difficult to see the activity remotely.
If you are in the office, you can see the behavior in detail and the part of the process that was evaluated becomes difficult to understand remotely.
From a management perspective, evaluation is more focused on "results", so the organization will move towards leveling up.
It is more important than ever to be a "professional", so it can be said that it will be a difficult environment for some people.
Miscellaneous
Some people may not have to meet people, but such people don't want to work in a company team, so they may be thinking about whether they belong to the company in the first place rather than choosing between remote or in-office.
Also, I think it's very good that the quality of life can be improved by "being able to spend a lot of time with your family".
What you can't do or are difficult to do without the office
Loose and connected with everyone
Work that has a task in front of you is quite possible remotely, and it is often easier to do remotely, which is exactly what we are experiencing now.
On the other hand, "it is difficult to communicate if there is no business" works like a body blow when thinking about team building.
Also, since you can only see your face online or it may be difficult to feel the atmosphere on video, it will be difficult to notice the changes you notice when you meet them in real life remotely.
At Colorkrew, everyone posts activities that are towards their goals on Goalous, so you can feel the atmosphere a bit, but I still feel that the amount of information is significantly reduced by being real and not seeing each other.
If you think more about it, you can strengthen the social part even remotely, but it seems that it will cost you more effort than in real life.
Difficult to come up with accidental ideas
In the office, you can interact with a variety of people casually, so new ideas are born here and there.
On the other hand, if you are remote, you will be extremely less likely to meet by chance even though you have nothing to do, so such things are less likely to happen.
What does Colorkrew do?
For the time being, Colorkrew will continue to work from home until the end of July, and we will make further decisions based on the situation.
If you get rid of the office, you can save millions of yen in rent every month, but I still find it attractive because it is a place where everyone can gather.
Although it is a decision beyond that, there is a direction.
- More remote than ever before
- The office is not assumed to be 100% in the office, but in the direction of downsizing
- The parts where it is difficult to see each other will establish online communication and eliminate disadvantages.
I think there are many managers who are worried about what to do in the future.
If you are interested, please discuss it once.
SNS-type goal management tool "Goalous" that can be used for remote work
