We may not be exactly sure when we’ll all be going back to work—but this week we asked readers how they thought we’d be going “back” when we do.
It was all inspired by an interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal recently, titled “What CEOs Really Think About Remote Work”—but brought home to me by a comment made by a Millennial advisor at the recent NAPA 401(k) Cyber Summit—“we’re working from home now, and we’re never going back.”
We started this week’s reader poll by asking: When we get to the “other side” of this pandemic, when we have a vaccine, when people are able (and willing) to recongregate as we once did—will we (retirement industry/advisors) go back to work?
39% - Yes, but not every day.
28% - Yes.
20% - Yes, but not every person every day.
10% - Maybe, but it will be optional.
3% - No.
Well, as one reader reminded me, “You make it seem like some of us aren’t already back at the office.” Another noted: “I never stopped. I have opened several plans this year, and employees need us more now than ever.” “It is currently voluntary to work in our office now. Two to three out of eleven are working in the office during the week. I don’t think our CEO will allow everyone to continue to work remotely once there is a well-tested vaccine,” noted another.
Echoing the comments of CEOs in the WSJ article, one reader said, “Businesses and Business owners will want the people in the office.” And, sure enough, one reader commented, “I’m a CEO and we are definitely going back to work in the office environment. Collaboration is 100% better with people physically in the office. Working from home is nice but not a good long term solution for creativity, work environment, employee rapport or growth.”
Another said, “We do expect 50% of employees to opt to WFH 100% of the time. For those that do WFH, we expect those WFH to want to come to the office for monthly and/or quarterly group update/celebratory meetings.”
“No reason to have an office if you have a shared network, ability to collaborate online, and employees you can trust to get the job done no matter where they work,” explained another. “Companies how found out how well they can survive & thrive in a virtual work environment, and are questioning that hefty rent payment they have been making for years,” noted another.
“Organizations have learned they do not necessarily have to have employees on site to get quality performance, so they can save on real estate, It will change the entire industry.” Another noted, “We are letting our lease expire and will all work remotely for at least the near future.”
“Historically, retirement plan advisors have gone where the clients needed them to be,” noted another. “I suspect that on the other side of this pandemic clients will expect retirement plan advisors to engage in-person with plan committees and with an employer’s workforce. Accordingly, retirement plan advisors unwilling to meet in-person will face competitive disadvantages. Simply put, market competitive forces will bring advisers back to work, whether advisers want to or not.”
“Traffic will dictate where I work from,” said another. Or, as another explained, “Working in a city such as Houston where commuting traffic can be a nightmare, we find that we are working more hours because we are not sitting in traffic. Also, we are able to schedule more Committee meetings in a day given that the meetings are virtual. We do look forward to meeting face-to-face with our clients in the near future, but we do not look forward to daily commuting. Therefore, we are contemplating three days a week in the office with Monday and Fridays remoting in from home.”
“Already working. Have been working. And it’s a new normal,” noted one.
“There will be opportunities where it will be better to get together face-to-face but that won’t be needed 100% of the time,” commented another. “…but not necessarily back to face to face meetings,” another noted,“as people have gotten used to video conferencing and the time saving characteristics of it (less small talk, no travel, no scheduling a conference room, no need for plan sponsor to be in office either).”
“There is still value in collaboration,” commented one reader. “We had better otherwise the RKers, Roboadvisors, et al will take our place,” noted another. “Most advisors work on teams, and synergy of the team experience is diminished working from home,” another echoed.
“We have had one employee in our office working remotely (500+ miles away) for over 10 years,” wrote another. “She is a very valuable employee and one who is suited for and trusted with working remotely. Her job is very conducive to remote work. I believe it would be wise to evaluate people and positions to determine if working remotely is a good solution. It is not a one size fits all.”
“Some people will be permanently remote,” commented another. “Nearly everyone will have some days of remote work.”
“Yes is the answer to this question,” said one reader. “The more appropriate question is, should we go back to work? I think that’s up for debate. In one sense, there is clearly more collaboration when everyone is in the office. What some may have been exposed to for the first time are all of the technological tools at our fingertips. We can talk to our parents, our kids, our friends at any moment at the tap of a button. Can’t this be applied to our work life? I think it will be a debate, not just over the next 6 months, but the next 5-10 years. What should normal look like?”
“We’ve been set up for optional remote work from the beginning and we have two remote employees,” shared another reader. However, highlighting some of the longer-term issues, they commented that, “The relationships we have were formed over live interactions (video and in-person) and we know everyone’s ‘isms’ and work style, which is what makes us successful. This works because we’re intentional about it and bringing everyone into the team. (It also helps when they’ve also had experience working in the virtual environment and don’t feel like they’re out on an island.) One thing that’s hard is the mentoring aspect. The easy thing in a virtual environment is to mentor based on work product. Getting to know someone on a more personal level so that you can encourage them to take on different roles or opportunities and understanding where they are and what they’re capable of is something I’m finding difficult. Again, it comes back to intentional interaction. Another place the virtual setting doesn’t work well is when you’re trying to collaborate with colleagues, especially across disciplines. The casual water cooler and more formal apprenticeship-type of interaction is really hard to recreate outside of an office setting. I’ve heard this complaint in particular from my law firm friends who long for the days they could walk down the hall and ask an expert. I’m also glad I was able to overhear conversations and participate in impromptu discussions in my early career days. It goes both ways. I think the pandemic has shown that employees can take a day or three out of the office and work without the world falling apart.”
“I so want to simply say ‘yes’ but I do think things will be quite different for a few years out.”
(How) Will YOU Go ‘Back?’
Workplaces notwithstanding, we then asked readers if, when we get to the “other side” of this pandemic, when we have a vaccine, when people are able (and willing) to recongregate as we once did—will you go back to work?
42% - Yes, but not every day.
32% - Yes, and I can’t wait!
12% - No - but then I was working remotely before the pandemic.
8% - Yes, but not every person every day.
4% - Yes, reluctantly.
1% - No.
1% - Maybe, but it will be optional.
We got a number of comments—including a fair number of readers who are already back—or never stopped—going to work:
I never stopped coming to work.
I have been at work throughout this pandemic.
We enjoy the lower overhead cost, which allows us to compete for business.
I will go into work on an as needed basis but continue to work at home as often as possible, i get more done.
I never worked remotely.
I’ve been in the office since the first week of May and will continue to work through this.
We are meant to be with each other, in person. This is the strength of the human community and its imperative for our well-being and our souls that we congregate.
It is important to retain office setting so that we may continue our trainee development. During the pandemic, we no longer could work (train) the trainee as everyone was remote. We lost a good trainee, and we are reluctant to bring on new staff until things settle down more. Meanwhile, sales generation has been more difficult but this is not directly correlated with working remotely.
REALLY Can’t Wait!!!
I’m an extrovert. I like talking with people face to face and for me personal conduct is much more effective.
We are already back.
I’m in the office with two partners, separated, and with masks and safety protocol. other ees are still at home since march. It’s pretty good.
I am back to work and have been since August.
Per our State Phased Re-Opening Guidelines, we’ve returned to the office at 100% capacity.
I miss working directly with people. Microsoft Teams and Zoom are inadequate replacements to in-person human interaction.
We basically burn up the phone lines all day with discussions over projects. Sometimes it’s easy and other times it’s just better to bat those ideas around. We’ve been just as productive. That said, a hybrid approach is going to work best for us where we’re not all virtual all the time, and we’ll continue to be purposeful with our interactions.
Already am back at the office.
I’ve BEEN back at work since June 1.
I love going to the office. And once we’re done with masks and social distancing and the undercurrent of fear I will love it as much as I did in the past. But in the meantime (after the first (at least) month it took me to get my systems organized), I’ve enjoyed the flexibility of working from home. Can’t sleep? Get up and do some work in your PJs. Want to go for a run but it’s going to be raining later? Go now then shower and just stay at work longer. I think I might plan for a day or two each week at home, but mostly I’ll be back at the office.
I would hope I could continue to work remotely, at least a couple of days per week. Will have to see how this works out.
I’ve always had a home office setup, but also had a “home base” office as well. I was planning to go full virtual pre-Covid, this just helps to solidify that decision.
Personally, I plan on working an extra day remotely per week. It will be two days versus one pre-pandemic.
I crave connection and collaboration. Yes, we are utilizing video conferencing, but it’s not the same. You miss out on drive-by conversations, overhearing others’ calls, etc.
I’ve been working remotely for over a decade now, highly recommend!
Productivity Pulse
We asked readers how working remotely has impacted their productivity:
36% - About as productive.
31% - More productive.
20% - Depends on the day/project.
13% - Less productive.
Some tasks cannot be easily handled at home such as office mail, physical deposits of checks, etc. Collaboration has been lost. IT related issues working remotely have created some problems as well.
Fear has kept more people at home and business owners are now more than ever wanting advice how to navigate taxes in this environment.
No commute (was at least 45-60 min each way), less time spent on time off for appointments, less distractions, less stress, better sleep, better focus.
I do not have to worry about staying late at the office to finish a project.
The lack of travel has given me hours and hours of productive time back.
I am able to go to more meetings and get things done in a more efficient way. Less office nonsense.
it is less efficient to collaborate with staff.
Staying at home all the time and working from home, is not always conducive to productivity. Some days it is some days it’s not.
In many ways I am more productive because I have less interruption, but working together as a team on projects has been challenging not for me, but for some of my team members. I have had issues with my team’s time management skills, not getting things done, and at times there has been a mis-communication on who is doing what. I do think it’s because we are not all together. We try to communicate every day, once a day, but compared to when we were in the same physical office where we were talking ongoingly through the day—big difference.
Hard to meet with folks who don’t want to meet due to fear.
Working more but does not feel as efficient. Hard to stick to a routine.
The networking has been more difficult to build on a consistent basis because not everyone around me is working at the same level and mindset. It isn’t about just us individually but everyone connected to us too.
There are days where I am in a groove and then there are days where I am just in a funk and having troubles getting squat done.
More productive, but at a cost. There is no longer an effective boundary between work and home life. I am more productive only because I am working longer hours, due to the “office” being right off of my living room. It has become way too easy to work until 8 or 9 pm, when there are things still to do, just because of the proximity of my workspace.
I am productive where ever I work. Prefer to work in collaborative in person environments.
Kids at home! No matter what I try to do productivity will be reduced.
Too many distractions at home. There is certainly convenience to having no commute, dress code, etc. but work ends up being "longer" and less efficient... in my humble opinion.
Working in a comfortable setting with limited distractions has significantly improved my productivity. I also noticed I was working longer days but with more flexibility—not having to commute helped, not having to travel by bus/plane/train to client meetings helped, and I can take a walk or run mid-day to release some stress and come back to the desk refreshed!
Client service meetings are more efficient. not having to drive has been more efficient for me. I can get more reactive tasks done in less time. BUT... I’m not sure it’s more effective. AND... when it comes to business development it is almost mandatory to be face to face.
Fewer distractions. No commute time.
I was definitely more productive. My employees however were less productive.
We thrive in a team environment. Unless we function as islands in our work environment, we need the commonality of work at a central location. We can be unified in our approach to our goals.
There are no instances where I feel less productive—it is between the same or more productive. The normal day-to-day tasks weren’t hindered at all by working out of the office. The utilization of Zoom allowed for more utilization. I found it was easier to connect with co-workers via Zoom than it was pre-pandemic, even when we were in the same office.
Avoiding a commute to/from the office and to/from client places of business has been a positive for productivity. Dealing with young children at home, who are just as stir crazy as their parents, has been a negative for productivity.
We were already set up to be able to work remotely if needed/desired, so there’s not been a change in productivity... as long as you ignore the pandemic depression and childcare issues.
It has been harder to focus. I’m deadline driven and so many of our meeting and travel dates kept me on target and on schedule. Everyone seems to be moving slower.
Less productive at home. But again I’ve mostly been going to the office.
I have a better workspace at the office, more table room, better access to printers and scanners. Being at home itself didn’t make me less productive, but not having all the same equipment did.
Um, the kids are at home. And in spite of my “I am at work—think before interrupting” sign, people are constantly poking their heads in. Some days this doesn’t really matter, but other days it has me putting in more time after dinner. Or at 6 AM.
I have three small children. Enough said.
I live alone, so no distractions from others is a big plus for me being more productive. And, no commute so I am more well-rested for the day’s challenges.
The only thing that has changed about my day is that I’m not driving to see clients, I’m now meeting with them virtually.
There are clear advantages to working remotely, such as no commute time. Just like being in the office though there are good days and bad days. For me, I am generally more productive, but some days distractions win the day.
For those companies that went to open floor concepts, it did not increase congregational collaboration moments. It did increase employee use of earbuds to be able to concentrate on work and ward off unwanted interruptions.
I had to do more client work electronically versus paper. That change has been less productive as it takes me much more time to paste documents together electronically.
It surprised me. I thought I’d be distracted with the dogs, the fridge, the tv. But, it’s been the opposite. I am focused and the time flies by.
I’m typically quite productive, and that hasn’t changed.
CEO ‘Stuff’
And then we asked readers what they would like their CEO to understand about this remote working environment—we even heard from a number of CEOs:
Mostly work at the office, I have seen improved relationships with my clients with more interaction with Webex and Zoom meetings.
Happier employees make more productive workers, which leads to improved relationships with clients, agents, etc. and should improve company profitability.
Kids are at home too!
I am the CEO and I will never work from a traditional office again.
People are working harder and more frequently.
I have always worked from home so my only limitation has been my ability to visit with clients and prospects.
We are just as productive working remote and can spend more hours actually working (not driving/commuting).
Worried about future hires.
I will do what is best for serving current clients and acquiring new clients.
I think it does and can work, but we need to make sure all associates do have the appropriate technology. The company did lend laptops to people, but we are used to working with 2 large monitors making it tough on spreadsheet projects especially. This has been causing mistakes and taking more time.
It’s something that has value for employees and should be considered as occasionally optional but not mandatory and definitely not “the new norm.”
My biggest concern has been all staff working remote, i.e. my support staff. I do not think all remote for all staff is optimal and lacks some accountability.
It has its own unique challenges that we must better understand and it is very much individualized.
I am the CEO and I would like to find a balance between productivity, flexibility and interaction for myself and my team members.
It’s working well, but let’s get back to work when safe.
Generally, our team is working longer hours with less distractions in our home settings. However, we would like to continue to have access to upscale meeting rooms for client who prefer in person visits.
Not everyone thrives, but a lot of people can do good work without being in an office.
My CEO is my business partner and we both agree. being in the office is better.
Staying in touch is important.
I do not have small children and am alone all day. In my situation it is much more productive and less stressful to work from home.
I’m sure the CEO knows about it as they had to adapt as well. That’s probably helpful in identifying any updates that may need to be made to help.
It’s not for everyone but if you trust your employees to get the work done, let them choose their preferred work environment. Happy employees will ultimately support the business.
Developing team culture requires being together.
Collaborating is more difficult. Business development is more difficult, making the connection with people you haven’t met before. There are a lot of technology challenges (e.g. strength of wifi service isn’t consistent).
Makes it very difficult for a team to collaborate. Everything seems to get bogged down and it takes longer to complete.
Less collaboration. people are more closed off.
I am the CEO of my business and I like being able to see more people per day. No driving time and that’s a huge time saver.
It is possible to read and bang out emails with a tv show on lol.
It’s not for everyone. That said, make sure that the proper support/equipment is in place for those who can/do operate in this manner.
Some works but need to have people in office too.
It takes a different style of management.
Remote work can only accomplish remote functions. There is always something going on at the office. Who takes care of that?
Work can be done anywhere. We are not in a retail industry where clients come to our office unannounced. Employees should be given the option—regardless of pandemic.
Everyone is different, jobs are different, and where people can be most productive in their job can vary. Providing flexibility and allowing some to work for home either sometimes or even consistently may be the best solution for maximizing everyone’s productivity. The challenge is whether it is the best thing for other aspects of the business like culture.
A one-size-fits-all return to work plan is unlikely to yield desired outcomes.
If handled properly there does not have to be a big fall off in collaboration when remote.
Work/life balance has been much easier to attain in this environment.
NA for me. I’m the CEO, Chief Cook and Bottle Washer and we have always worked remotely. We effectively work out of our clients’ offices.
I think they should make it optional to return for most—cuts down on commute times, traffic and travel costs.
We’re going to do our jobs, timely and correctly, no matter where we are.
It’s awesome. I would recommend that all work that can be done from home, should get a choice - all remote, some remote or all in the office. I would probably choose 2 days in the office, three days from home.
Working from home allows me to maximize work/life balance without an added 2-hour commute to still sit at a desk.
I’m worried that lower performers are going to more easily “hide” at home. If they are in the office and are done with their daily work, they may go to their co-worker and ask if they can help with anything. That is extremely likely to happen if they are simply at home... far more likely that they’ll just be “done” for the day.
Working from home does not fit everyone, but some benefit greatly from the remote environment. Those that do benefit from remote working should not have to take a pay cut to do so. It allows them to be a more productive worker, which in turn benefits the company.
That it works!
Flexibility is the key. I do miss the collaboration and socialization with colleagues. Working remotely does reduce distractions. Especially now that my kids are back to school, in person, 5 days a week!
Trust your leadership to hire right. Trust all employees’ commitment to the organization.
To work remotely on a permanent basis, I recommend more of an investment in home office equipment.
For companies that will embrace a hybrid model of remote work from multiple location, they will have the advantage of attracting candidates from a broader pool. Workers will no longer have to choose between a job and their choice of a place to live. I also think that the concept of working hours need to change.
It appears to be working well. Yes, we are taking care of our customers. BUT, what are the long term ramifications? I feel my colleagues are more bold in making decisions in a silo. I feel these decisions could backfire later.
That we should encourage remote work—it’s not for everyone, but for most people, it will increase productivity.
Heh heh... I am the CEO. But, I think I’ve heard it loud and clear: this works, we don’t want to get each other sick, but we still like to get together!
‘Other’ Comments
And, of course, as you might expect—we asked for, and got, some additional thoughts:
I do not like managing remote employees, I feel unengaged with those team members and am less likely to rely on them which could be bad for their career path with the firm.
You cannot let fear stop your business. be cautious, but fear is never a good motivator.
Working remotely gives me a lot more control of my day. I can more easily coordinate my home and work responsibilities since the travel time is eliminated.
Having the option will keep people in their jobs longer and increase job satisfaction and productivity.
I think people that are self-motivated and self-accountable can work from home well, but the problem is it’s hard to supervise people when you can’t see them. Many times I feel like I have to micro-manage my team to make sure things are getting done, and that can cause ill-feelings. It’s a challenging balance.
Folks who tend to look busy and are generally not truly productive are easier to identify in a remote work environment. “New” individuals who need training suffer the most in a remote work environment.
The country overreacted to the virus. We need to protect older folks. Let people under 60 go back to work. Open up the country.
There is something to be said for being on the road/in an office/in a professional environment. WTH/SIP is challenging. Not everyone is a big fan of this.
Some resources on all of these things from our partners would be GREAT. Specifically on managing those who are working remotely.
The primary downside of working remotely is that hiring a new trainee is not practical—limiting the number of team members that we may delegate routine activities to.
Keeping in touch with your direct reports is crucial.
While remote work can be effective if the person doing it is suited to it, I believe at least some in person work is more productive. I also am sad for the younger workers that are trying to move up the career ladder. Out of sight is a bad place to be when trying to show you can make a difference. There is nothing like popping in to iron out a quick idea or issue.
I think more people will strike a balance of remote... with more of a barbell concept (some all remote, some all in the office, most hybrid).
Just because you can’t see me working (i.e.. walk by my desk every day), doesn’t mean I’m on vacation.
Many employees are taking advantage of the situation and not working to their full or expected capacity. Also, burnout starting to kick in.
Figuring out how to keep employees out of the office at a higher level of productivity is difficult but i think it depends on the individual. the less than productive are probably the same in the office!
It is more difficult to manage employees but not to the point where I want to go back completely to the way we were doing it before.
MUST: Supervisor must have video chat daily with their direct reports.
Remote working is much easier now that my children are back in school.
We are training a work force for less interpersonal activities and therefore fewer skills. Not a good thing.
It definitely means people will have to be managed differently—some people will thrive in the new working world and some won’t so adjustments may be needed, clear expectations have to be set—the rules will have to change—has anyone figured out how to create remotely the spontaneous drop by the office discussions that can be productive, impactful and energizing?—may need to treat new employees differently than long term employees until new employees are connected and can work remotely with less supervision like recent college grads that may need micromanagement/greater assistance at the beginning as they adjust to having a job.
This is not “the new normal.” For the avoidance of any doubt, this situation is not normal. There is nothing normal about the way society is living, educating youth, and working today. This temporary situation was created because of a public health crisis, and it will resolve itself once fear of the public health crisis subsides. A good vaccine, better therapeutics, and lower hospitalization rates will go a long way to alleviating the public’s fear.
Managing people is much harder working remote. Creating functioning teams of people is also harder.
I can see how remote settings can make old-schoolers nervous. There’s a fair amount of trust that goes into managing remote employees (are they actually working?), as well as a certain level of organization about your delegation and project management that requires leaders to plan ahead more than they’re used to. There’s also a shift in measuring results versus thinking that physically seeing someone doing the work and perceiving the effort that goes into it should somehow also factor into a performance review. It should not. Welcome to reality; it’s based on output and contributions, not face time. To be fair, we’ve had 6 months to go from all in-person to all virtual. It’s completely unrealistic to think companies founded and steeped in in-person culture would have it all figured out by now, especially large, established organizations. Their culture, operations, and processes weren’t built with this in mind. Do you spend a bunch of time, money, and effort reworking all of that or do you just say, no, you’re coming back to the office when this is over? I think it’s logical that the large-company CEOs quoted in that article would be quick to just say no.
If you are hiring good people that you trust, there should be no need to be in a physical office very often.
I treasure the in-person interactions with my team. I see the value in the virtual options from both team and client perspective and imagine we will continue to adapt and have some of both. But I can’t wait to get out to see my clients and their employees.
Some people clearly need the social environment. Working from home for over 10 years now (except client visits/travel, etc.) I’ll admit I’m a little biased and have had more time to get used to it.
The pandemic has led to improvements in the remote work experience for many. Going forward, it will just be one more option for folks. It will work for some, but not for others.
Back in March I predicted no possible reprieve until fall of 2021, and now it appears, unfortunately, I was correct. I just want this to end! But in the meantime I recently read over 800,000 Americans die *every year* from heart disease. So shouldn’t we be putting a lockdown on the red meat industry and opening even more gyms? Maybe we don’t have our “saving lives” priorities straight.
My CEO loves it. He was hesitant at first, but now sees how great it has been, how productive our staff is and how much everyone likes it!
The right individuals can still be productive with essentially no drop-off in their productivity. And we’ve employed remote employees in our group for many years to great success. But remote employees have historically had a harder time assimilating to our company’s culture or picking up on useful discussions that just organically happen with multiple workers in a physical office setting.
It’s so important to check in with your remote workers.
Most all EEs are committed to the company and their clients. It is quickly evident when not the case and managers move to quickly address.
It’s been an interesting experiment. Definitely changing how we look at work. Do you work in your jammies or get dressed as if you were going into the office? I’ve heard both. I fear it will pull society further away from meaningful connections and communications. We’ve seen it with some of the Gen Z group—unable to carry on a conversation or start one. Always on their phones texting. It will be interesting to see what happens in 2021.
Will be interesting to see how the office infrastructure economy is ultimately affected.
Thanks to EVERYONE who participated in our weekly NAPA-Net Reader Poll!
