When our grandparents were growing up they were taught to go to school, get a good job, and stay there until you retire. This was then passed down to our parents’ generation. With the added twist of the 60s and 70s revolutionary age, the American Dream encouraged people to do what they believe in. Our parents passed down the belief that it is important to get a good steady job, but it’s not the end all be all to your life. It is more important to try and do what you love and be the best you can at that job. So what did we do with this knowledge? We ran so far with it we created the new work environment – working from home.
Working from home is not a new concept, but it is a growing trend that even large corporations are allowing. So why did this happen? Here are some reasons why this generation doesn’t need an office to succeed in their career.
1) 9 to 5 – Is that even a thing anymore?
First of all, as most of us who work know that 9 to 5 is not realistic, heck it’s not even an 8 hour day after your lunch break! Deadlines approach and you must work until it’s done, the deal you needed to close is still pending, or your coworker is sick and their work needs to be completed as well. There are a thousand reasons to why time is not what defines your job, which is why working from home means you can work as early or as late as you need too without having to be at the office for 14 hours straight.
2) Freedom and Flexibility
Sometimes life just gets in the way. Doctor’s appointments, sick children, or a concert you just can’t miss. When we decide to do something over work we make the conscious decision that we will have to do our work at a different time including the weekends, evenings and dare I say holidays? The modern era is extremely capable of completing work within their deadline without having a time frame to do it in. The flexibility of working when it suits you gives you a sense of responsibility because even without an office, you can get your work done effectively and efficiently.
3) An Office Doesn’t Define a Good Worker
Opening up the possibilities to work from home expands your candidate pool, which means you can hire a rock star candidate in another state or even another country! With so many technology advancements now, it’s easy to communicate via video chat, email or chat boxes.
4) Increased Productivity
When people work from home there is a sense of, “do they think I’m not actually working?” Because of this thought, it’s common to see a huge increase in productivity from someone who works at home because they can work quicker and get more done without workplace distractions. They also tend to work longer hours without realizing they’ve worked that long because it’s more comfortable to be at home.
5) Working Multiple Jobs
It’s not uncommon for the modern era to work several part-time jobs such as being a writer, blogger, social media coordinator, editor, content-writer, or sales manager. Most of these positions are not full time and can be done throughout the week. Some are even expected to work weekends simply because of the nature of the job. With that in mind, working from home or a coffee shop or library is almost mandatory in order to do all these jobs simultaneously. You wouldn’t go into your office job while working on your blogging or you may risk getting fired!
