Home working – friend or foe?

The Beast from the East and Storm Emma – a match made in hell!

Especially for the thousands of businesses being affected by logistical nightmares, production shutdown and staff ‘snow days.’

Whilst the lucky amongst us are curled up in front of the fire with one eye on the laptop and the other on Jeremy Kyle, finance teams are calculating the ongoing loss which is rising by the minute.

In addition to problematic potholes, the weather is also opening up another issue, the discussion of home working, is this a company’s friend or foe?

Personally, I find myself most productive when remote working, no distractions or office politics, however this comes down to personal preference. I also write this sat in my local Public House, so I suppose the question of preference doesn’t come into it!

However, I also do not doubt that there are some ‘chancers’ out there, who will see remote working as an opportunity to catch up on overdue social events and soon-to-expire Sky Boxsets.

Working in the recruitment industry, I have seen a sharp change in priorities when it comes to choosing the next career move - with flexible working, home working and work/life balance being the top three.

With a growing number of professionals literally ‘working themselves to death,’ it is no wonder that financial remuneration is falling lower down the list.

Has 2017 really been ‘The Year of the Worker’? Read to find out why our Executive Search Consultant, Samantha is debating the statistics, bringing valuable information to you.

Does the secret in successful home working lie with personal productivity, motivation, professionalism or a mix of all three?

For me, being surrounded by my ‘why’ – the family we work hard to provide for, the house we work to keep – these are my professional pro-plus. Maintain focus on these and there should be no need for micro-management, no need to be part of the proverbially ‘9 till 5’ slave-trade.

Most importantly, in weather like this, let us all spare a thought for those of us who do not have the luxury of heat and shelter.

In January, my partner and I paid for a lovely young lady to stay in a hotel for a night off the streets and away from the snow. It set us back a mere £40 - the look in that girls eyes when we walked her into a night of guaranteed warmth – I would have cleared my bank account.

In a world of wicked weather, we are seeing a nation of heroes. They may not have super powers, but they have big hearts and a selfless soul – some would say the most enviable super power.

Samatha has also written about how to avoid digital extinsion - a useful read if you're contemplating this post from the warmth of your home! Read Don’t be a Digital Dinosaur!