Benjamin Kane’s Post

One day, in March 2020, the whole company went remote “for a while”. A few days later, a national lockdown was happening. We remained remote for the whole year. In 2021 I visited the office a few times for client meetings. Not wasting two hours a day on the commute meant more time to spend with my toddler. Not spending money on lunches or on transportation meant over 10% increase in my income. Having the flexibility to take a break in the middle of the day to pick up my kid from the kindergarten was one of the best perks I could get. At work, I was more focused and productive, without the constant interruptions and noise of the open space. I felt that I worked better and harder The Corona pandemic changed the way we work in the Tech Industry forever. I cannot see myself going back to long commutes, the noise of the open spaces and the 10s of interruptions per day to go on a cigarette break (I'm not a smoker, never was, never will be). #remotework #remoteworking #newnormal

Work from home, Remote or Hybrid? The big debate that's happening right now, and personally, I don't think there is a right answer. There is no 'one size fits all', every single business AND every single person are different. Some work cannot be done at home, some people work so much better at home and have built their lives around that. I worked from home almost 100% for 12 months or so prior to starting at InfoSum and I was so sure that this was the best route for me. However I am realising that I really did miss being in the office: 👯 I missed the kitchen conversations, the human connection and the random 10 minutes here and there away from my work 🥘 I missed eating lunch with my colleagues, everyone eats together at Infosum (by choice) and its such a nice way to speak to people you wouldn't usually 🚘 I missed the commute, loud music and singing louder than should be allowed. the 30 minute drive home giving me the time to process the day and switch off 👗 I missed dressing up (we are a casual dress company) but I missed caring about my clothes and my make up. Don't get me wrong, sitting in my comfy clothes is needed sometimes but it was becoming a very unhealthy habit for me Im also very greatful to work hybrid because some days you just need an extra 30 minutes in bed, a late breakfast and a quiet, comfy place to work. I also value my WFH days as it's added time for Bird cuddles (and jump scares). We are very lucky at Infosum that we have an incredible Office and Culture Manager, Candice Tanner who spends so much time to make sure we have an amazing space to grow and work. If you wanna see more on what she does check out her recent post about the Halloween takeover at the Basingstoke office 👻 I was fully on the WFH boat until I joined Infosum and learned the value both Professionally and Mentally of being in an office, for me personally. What are your thoughts and preferences? #WFH #office #workfromhome

Back in the office after a couple of weeks working from home due to half term and a few unexpected "sick days." 🥳 Ah, the wonders of remote work - saving us from the chaos of half-term and the sniffles! Working from home is just bloody brilliant. It's like wearing sweatpants for your brain - comfy, convenient, and surprisingly productive. Who knew staying in your PJs could have such professional perks? Although it's nice to be back in the studio ✌️ With more and more companies pushing to get their employees back in the office, this may seem a little controversial, but there is no way we will be doing that any time soon 🤪 Are you back in the office or do you work from home? #workfromhome #designagency #creativity #graphicdesign

The Great Office Debate… In 2012, I was 5 months pregnant and asked to work from home a couple days a week for a little while after the baby was born. My boss said no. “We can’t set that precedent,” they said. My response? I quit. Started my own firm. While pregnant. Fast forward a few years, my now former law partner and I had built a thriving hybrid team – pre-COVID, mind you. When the pandemic hit, we didn’t miss a beat. Here’s what I learned: 1.    Results trump location. Always. 2.    Rockstars shine from anywhere. So do slackers. 3.    KPIs are your best friend. Use them. 4.    Trust your people. Adults don’t need babysitting. 5.    Embrace the global talent pool. Why limit yourself to one zip code? Sure, we’ve had hits and misses. But here’s the kicker: location was never the deciding factor. We’ve had office rockstars and remote superstars. We’ve also had underperformers in both camps. Is employee engagement trickier with remote teams? Absolutely. Is it impossible? Not even close. Let’s be real: Just because someone’s warming a seat doesn’t mean they’re setting the world on fire. Remember: ·     A desk doesn’t guarantee productivity ·     An office doesn’t ensure collaboration ·     Face time doesn’t equal results So, to the companies forcing return to office: Are you measuring butts in seats or brains in gear? Because at the end of the day, it’s not about where the magic happens. It’s about making sure it happens at all. Set clear expectations. Create a culture of accountability. Judge on outcomes, not hours. It’s not about where we work. It’s about how we work. And why. What's your take? Are you Team Office, Team Remote, or somewhere in between? #FutureOfWork #RemoteWork #LeadershipLessons #WorkLifeBalance

I'm kicking off week 3 of my new role and thought I would share my impressions so far, as many of you had asked about going back to in-person and my experience! Let's start with in-person versus remote. I'm not gonna lie, the first couple weeks were hard. 🤣 Not so much the going into the office part, but the logistics as a working parent with 2 school-age kids in various activities there are a lot of moving parts! I'm thankful to have a spouse who still works from home, so he can still cover pickups in the afternoons since we don't have bus service options at the higher level. We've divided morning drop off duties based on school start times and who needs to be where. Most colleagues I talk to seem to have at least one spouse who works from home too in order to make this work, especially if they have kids who can't drive yet. As far as in office, so far I've loved the interaction with colleagues, the amenities that our campus offers (gym, food, coffee shop, dry cleaning, pharmacy and onsite dr's etc., easy commute for me). I do miss my home office which was huge, but I've been slowly decorating my cubicle and our campus is beautiful! I would say the most painful part of in-office to me is I had gotten used to all my home amenities (my own coffee maker, monitors, music, comfy desk blanket & shoes hehehe). I have brought a lot of these to my new "office" and I'm pretty sure my cubemates think I'm crazy but also I don't care, these are my non-negotiable requirements. 😍 I did notice the first couple weeks people here talk to each other A LOT. I know they say when you are not in-office, you don't get all the water cooler talk and I can see how that is true. There are a lot of intros/random meetups and over-the-wall cube convos that are hard to create remotely even if you are very intentional about it. I still believe that the best of both worlds can exist, so I'm not saying in-office or remote is something you need to pick a side on! Just sharing my observations so far and will continue to do so as my time here continues. #grc #compliance #security

After 16 years of commuting to an office, I've been working from home for a while now. It's been quite the ride, and I wanted to share my experience with you all. Honestly, switching to WFH wasn't all smooth sailing. There were days when my couch looked way too comfy, and the line between "work time" and "Netflix time" got a bit blurry. But over time, I've found some tricks that really help. Here are my Top Tips for working most effectively from home: 🔸 Time-blocking galore It’s all about time blocking. Use an app like Toggl or Motion to organise daily, weekly, monthly tasks - even schedule the times you are going for a walk. 🔸 Lunch Breaks are sacred Make sure to step away from your desk and actually enjoy a lunch break. I may even get in a 15 minute nap! 🔸 My office is my castle Work stays in the home office. It's my way of telling my brain, "Okay, focus time!" when I'm in there, and "Relax!" when I'm not. 🔸 People Power I make it a point to network with others in business who leave me feeling energised. No energy vampires allowed! 🔸 Coffee dates (But make it professional) Regular 1:1s with other professionals and clients keeps me inspired, motivated and connected. Sometimes, even with all these habits, the walls start closing in a bit. Last week, I treated myself to a day at Meet by the Park in Leamington. Let me tell you, the change of scenery was just what I needed! It felt like a mini-vacation for my brain. ✨ So, I'm curious - what's your ideal setup? Do you prefer WFH or the office type, or do you like to mix it up? And if you're in the WFH club, got any tips to share? Drop your Top Tips in the comments! #WFH #officevibes #workyourway #hybrid

This week’s Elephant in the room is the work from Home vs. office dilemma  As someone who recently embarked on a new role this week, I’ve been reflecting on the ongoing debate of working from home versus working in an office. While each way has its advantages, my experience this week has reinforced my personal preference for being in an office environment. The Pros of Working from Home: • Flexibility to manage responsibilities such as housework (I mean lockdown has shown us that there is more to our weekends than ploughing through our washing, spending hours in TESCO and being on our hands and knees and scrubbing our bathrooms!), childcare (obvs for me ‘cat care’), no lengthy commute and hobbies. There’s nothing like getting up early and going for a run to keep me sane.  • Autonomy for roles that thrive on solitude, especially in the tech world. For example I’ve seen many coders thrive in a remote setup, utilising tools like MIRO to connect and it seems to work. The coder in my life, shuts the door, dims the lights and he’s in his element, appearing only for snacks a few times a day! The Benefits of Office Work: On the other hand, my time spent working face to face has been nothing short of a gamechanger. There’s a unique magic to in-person conversations, shared spontaneous brainstorming, learning or help others learn and the energy that comes from working with others. While some companies have started to acknowledge these intangible benefits, perhaps with the lack of concrete data, I can't help but feel that the learning and motivation, I’ve felt this week is priceless and dataless (if that's a word!). Personal preference plays a huge role, even by decision makers about whether you’re a hybrid, fully remote or in the office company and what works for one might not work for another. For many, remote work is a game changer. Yet, for me, being with people, sharing ideas, and getting to know people is unmatched.  Let’s discuss! #WorkFromHome #OfficeLife #PersonalPreference #Collaboration #Teamwork #RemoteWork #CompanyCulture

One of the best parts of working 100% from home is how much more I get to see my wife and kids. Our 2-year-old, Kai, knows and likes me much better than our other 3 kids did at his age. Lately, he's only wanted me to put him down for his nap and bed at night, which I love. (None of my other kids were that way.) That would be a hard benefit to replace with any "in-office perk." Remote work isn't for everyone or every stage of life, but I sure have loved it. What's your favorite WFH perk? #wfh #startuplife

It's crazy to me that it took the world experiencing a major pandemic for people to start questioning the need for office employees to work, well.. At an office 🤐 When the majority of office jobs are done at computers these days, how could anyone have effectively advocated for 40 hours a week spent at an office? Growing up, I watched my dad work at a computer for the entirety of his career; 4 times a day at the office, 1 time a day at home. When I visited Bring Your Kids to Work Day at his job (a major corporation) in the early 2000's, almost every presentation and workshop was about the beauty and possibilities that came with online work. They were showcasing products that connected people across all locations and time zones where internet access existed -- it was phenomenal to see, especially back then. And yet, when I started my career pre-pandemic, the vast majority of companies required their teams to work on location, even when they'd simply come into the office and sit at their computers all day. I still remember taking meetings at the office, at my computer, with both team members who were physically in my office (in other rooms) and teammates who were in other countries 😐 I would commute to a physical location, to sit in remote meetings... Yep. It truly baffles me how this was our reality. And it baffles me even further to see companies in 2024 pushing for returns to the office for their teams who successfully operated remotely for years. Anyone still a proponent of forced returns to the office for folks who work exclusively at computers? Shout out to Spotify for having a healthy approach to it all 🙌 (Not here for arguments about how doctors and construction workers and drivers still need to work in person, so office workers should be forced to as well... Because, well, the arguments are absolutely irrelevant🤷♀️) #Business #Corporate #Marketing #Founder

Can you believe it's been 4 years since the start of lockdown? Something that at the time, I didn't believe would actually happen - staying at home felt too massive, I couldn't understand how it would work for longer than a week! Looking back, it's amazing to see how much has changed since then, especially in the way we work from home. 🏡💼 Working during lockdown forced us to adapt, and while it was insanely challenging at first, it's also been a journey of growth and resilience. From makeshift home offices to mastering Teams calls with kids beating down the door for snacks every 3 minutes, we've come a long way! But beyond the tech upgrades and comfy work attire, what's truly remarkable is how it's transformed our perspective on work-life balance and flexibility. We've learned that productivity isn't confined to office walls and that connection knows no physical boundaries. 🌍💻 I am very glad for that crazy period of time to be long gone, not least because I did lockdown with 2 young kids and a toddler (!!)- but let's not forget the lessons learned during those early lockdown days. Let's embrace flexibility, prioritize well-being, and continue to innovate in the ever-evolving landscape of remote work. 💡👩💻 I currently have many remote roles across EMEA- and if remote working still works for you, please check them out using the link below! www.iconplc.com/careers #WorkFromHome #Adaptability #RemoteWorkRevolution ICON plc