Remote Workers = More Productivity. We Agree!

I visit a lot of offices. I have moved offices 3 times in the past 2 years; so I can speak with authority about offices and I can say for sure that the move to open office spaces does not increase my personal productivity. In fact, I have clocked it: If I stay home and work from 7-10am on a sprint I am getting the same amount of work done as I do in my office during a normal day. That 3 hours of work time is not broken up with meetings and deciding what to have for lunch and coffee runs and chatting about tv shows and the news. In an open office space find it hard to concentrate on a specific task for very long because of the ambient noise and interruptions. Plus,  I am not a fan of headphones or going into another space to work.

 

I realize I may be in the minority and I know I am adverse to change– I still use a Filofax for goodness sake. But everywhere you go today there are open office spaces with distractable perks like ping-pong and plentiful snacks and blow-out bars. I understand it is meant to provide creativity and foster a collaborative environment… but I don’t buy it and the research is now backing me up: in open offices workers spend more time talking to each other online than they do in person. So there.

 

Another study shows it takes more than 23 minutes to get back on track when you are interrupted. Which basically means proves that when I work in my pajamas in my bed without speaking to anyone except my friends on Morning Joe I am actually way more productive than if I went to work this morning.

 

Look, I definitely understand the counter-argument and working remotely does have its challenges: you miss a lot not being around the conversations that take place outside of scheduled meetings among co-workers. You may lose out on opportunities that come up on the fly. And while it may be personally more productive for me to work remotely, it may be less productive for my co-workers to have to catch me up on what I missed.

 

There are, however larger, less personal business cases for why remote work should be encouraged:

  • Increased productivity–studies show remote work increases productivity and efficiency.
  • Ability to hire from a larger talent pool than only those who are geographically available.
  • Parents will flock to work for your business– flexible/ remote work is the number one thing caregivers are looking for when choosing work opportunities through The Second Shift.
  • Lower overhead and operating costs without needing to provide office space and all those snacks and craft beer-on-tap.

 

Okay, time to get up and get dressed and go into work for a meeting. I have been at this computer for 2.5 hours and gotten my entire list of “to do” tasks completed. So now I can go to my actual “office” without the pressure of deadlines and enjoy myself and my co-workers.

 

From Jenny Galluzzo: Co-Founder/ Luddite/ Possible Curmudgeon?

 

 

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Pitch “nearly” Perfect

 

We chose this example because it is a great pitch and with a few tweaks it would be perfect!

 

I’m a seasoned human resources professional who has had the opportunity to develop & deploy recruiting strategies for various business segments & levels. Over my career, I’ve built, restructured, manage & develop teams as small as 4 & as large as 60. I had the opportunity to work on enterprise-wide initiatives, most recently with the HR Change Management team in supporting the implementation of Workday.

 

Last year, I had the opportunity to help develop & execute XX Employment Brand. In the last few years, I’ve gained the confidence of XX Executives to partner with internal executive recruiting team vs hiring a retained firm for C-Suite roles, which has saved the firm millions each year. I have viewed myself as a brand ambassador. From speaking with students on campus to participating on national diversity conferences panels to networking with C-level executives. I am confident that my experiences provide me with a solid foundation to be successful in this role.

 

The Good:

 

She touches on the basics: who she is, what she does and why she is successful– with quantifiable results.

 

Not Quite There:

This pitch is all her past accomplishments and it is missing a vital element– why her background is relevant to the position and why she is uniquely qualified to succeed.

 

For more information about how to craft a great pitch read our do’s and don’ts:

Pitching-dos-donts

 

 

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Older and in Charge!

“Women, we’re nurturers, that’s what’s expected of us. We have our children, we have our husbands if we’re lucky enough, and our partners. But we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say, “I can do that, and I should be allowed to do that.”

 

Glen Close famously said that in her Golden Globes acceptance speech last Sunday. She is just one of a growing group of successful women over 60 coming into their own power in this present moment. Think Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Susan Zirinsky who was just named the head of CBS News.  This is a demographic of women who are sidelined and silenced no more.  But why now? A recent NY Times article points out a few unique reasons that 60+ women are taking center stage:

 

  • The overall aging population is staying healthier and working longer than ever.

 

  • The #metoo movement forced a reckoning with power dynamics and unfair gender structures that have historically kept women from reaching the top.

 

  • Women who started working in the 70s and 80s are now at the height of their power and success… as their male counterparts are dealing with the fall out of their poor behavior.

 

The rise of women as a political, cultural and professional force can’t be ignored. Let’s hope it spreads and companies fill their leadership roles with older, experienced women. The pipeline of female talent to senior level roles is depleted because, according to Pew Research,  39% of mothers say they have to take time off to care for family and 42% reduce their hours. This is a fact that is talked about a lot about in articles, conferences and summits but there are very simple answers:

 

  • Hire and promote more women
  • Create family-friendly policies including fluid parental leave,  flexible hours and remote options.

 

The more the workplace changes to accommodate the needs of women early in their careers the more women will remain engaged, rise up the ranks and take home the ultimate prize– power!

 

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