Working from home has its perks, but it can also make us feel isolated and disconnected from our colleagues and peers. How can we recreate those key office experiences that help us bond, learn and grow when we WFH? Rebecca Low suggests some ways to bring back the human connection in your working week.
How to recreate those key office experiences when you WFH
Hybrid working is here to stay. Working from home has given us more flexibility around how and when we work than ever before. But while WFH has its many advantages, there are some aspects of the office experience that we might be missing out on.
If you’re entering the workplace now, or you’ve worked through the shift from 9-5 to a more remote set-up, you might be thinking that remote-working life isn’t quite what you expected it to be.
Here are some ways that you can recreate those office-based moments and enjoy the benefits of an in-person workplace, without the exhausting commute.
A change of scene
Hands up if your WFH set up is less than inspiring? Taking Zoom calls from your kitchen table with last night’s dishes in full view or rolling out of bed straight to the desk in your bedroom doesn’t always make for the best work environment. Even if you’re lucky enough to have a separate workspace at home, spending all day in the same four walls can be mind-numbing. This can be especially true if you’re a solo worker and you’re craving some connection in your working week. What you need is a change of scene. Heading along to a local co-working space could be just the refresh your WFH routine needs.
Co-working spaces of all shapes and sizes are popping up across Scotland. From egg & co-working in Edinburgh, to The Distillery in Glasgow, to Flour Mill Dundee, these spaces are the antidote to your WFH blues. Whether you’re looking for a hot desk once a month or something more permanent, co-working spaces have a range of options to suit your working style and budget. Many of them will give you a free taster session so you can check out their vibe first, and some co-working spaces run events that are open to anyone, not just their members.
What’s more, co-working spaces come with a ready-made community of remote workers to join. You could find yourself typing next to a biochemist, grabbing coffee with a photographer or being inspired by a jewellery designer at a networking event. These co-working colleagues might become good friends or even help you make your next career move. You definitely can’t find that sitting at your kitchen table!
Find your tribe
When you work Monday to Friday in the same office with the same people, it’s only natural that you’ll form a solid group of work pals. These might be your best friends or just the people with the best gossip, but they’re a ready-made group to spend your lunch break with, complain about your boss to and celebrate with on a Friday night at the pub. Even if you move on to a new job, your work besties will be the ones to keep in touch and update you on all the office drama.
Working from home, these friendships don’t form as easily. Zoom calls and Slack messages are great for checking in on that upcoming project deadline, but they’re not great for building those important social connections. The truth is, making friends when you’re not in an office takes a bit more time and effort, but if you put yourself out there it’s definitely worth it.
No matter what your hobby or interest is, there will always be an event or opportunity for you to get involved with. Eventbrite is a goldmine for finding out what’s going on near you. From business networking to beach breakfasts, from pottery to paddle boarding, there are plenty of ways to meet people who are on the same page as you.
Scotland is also home to a number of communities specifically for women, including Scottish Women In Business and Women’s Enterprise Scotland, both of which run a year-round programme of events for women working in all sectors.
Out-of-office romance
From flirtation by the coffee machine to secret snogs at the Christmas party, we all know the clichés of the office romance. What is true however is that working in person means you’ll naturally meet (and maybe have a crush on) more people than you would if you’re at home working on your own.
The dating game has changed just as much as the working world in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean that your job can’t still lead to romance. Or at the very least, a great-slash-terrible date story for your pals to giggle about later.
Just like making friends, looking at the sector you work in and following your interests is a good way to meet potential partners. Research shows that we’re attracted to people who share our values, which is why volunteering is one great way to make exciting new connections.
Maybe your day job is in social media marketing, so why not volunteer to create some content for a local charity event? Share your skills and get to know some of the organisers taking part. Are you part of your company’s Green Team? Join in with a tree planting initiative or local beach clean and maybe meet your very own environmental activist. Just because your work is online, doesn’t mean that you can’t be out there IRL.
If you’re looking for some more direct contact, speed-dating events are a fun and zero-commitment way to meet new people. While it might seem a bit old school, speed-dating has had a makeover. There are a range of regular events across Scotland for both straight and queer people, tailored to specific age brackets, so your evening will be less-hit-and-miss than an hour spent swiping on your phone – and arguably way more fun!
This is a great way of ‘ripping off the plaster’ and building your confidence. You could even bring along some other single work pals for support. Again, Eventbrite and sites like DesignMyNight are the best way to find out what’s on near you.
Just a word of warning: mixing work and romance isn’t always easy. Remember to stay professional and keep your relationship and work responsibilities separate. Even an out-of-office romance isn’t worth getting a warning from management for.
Start where you are
If you’re reading this thinking that you’ve got just a bit too comfortable with your WFH routine and you’re not sure where to start, then why not just start where you are? If you’ve already part of a remote-working team, have a think about who you connect with best already. That girl who always has great ideas for your weekly team meeting probably has fab suggestions for what to do out of work too. Why don’t you suggest you meet up for a drink at that cool new bar that’s just opened?
Your colleague who said they were also gutted to miss out on Beyoncé tickets might share other music tastes with you too. Ask if they fancy going to another gig with you. Drop them a DM and don’t be shy! Even if you don’t become BFFs it’ll still feel good to make a new connection at work.
If you’re freelancing or running your own business, then chances are your fellow solo workers will also want to liven up their work week. Why not make a date to co-work together in your favourite café? Make it a regular meet-up and you’ll always have something in your work schedule to look forward to. You can even co-work with your other WFH flatmates.
Instead of beavering away in your own bedrooms, suggest that you spend a couple of hours co-working in your own kitchen or living room. Then, when that clock hits 5pm, close your laptops and head out together for that post-work pint, dance class or whatever you fancy doing to wind down at the end of the day.
No matter how and where you work from home, you can still replicate those important office-based experiences, all without an overpriced travel card or sad Sainsbury’s meal deal in sight.
