Mike And Alison After Hours: Alison Drives The Bus
With no guest on the show this week, co-hosts Mike and Alison took the opportunity to touch base, catch up, and talk about the latest trends in their areas of expertise.
This week’s episode marked a first for the Mike and Alison After Hours podcast — Alison took on the role of introducing the episode, instead of Mike. Due to a scheduling snafu, there is no guest on the episode this week, so the co-hosts saw it as a chance to have Alison “drive the bus.”
Before getting to their main discussion, Mike and Alison made sure to remind listeners of an upcoming giveaway — “How To Work With Jerks” written by Eric Williamson. Eric will be a guest on the show in August, at which time we will announce the winner. To enter, make sure to subscribe to Mike And Alison After Hours and drop a comment on our YouTube channel or any audio podcast platform.
Check out the full video for the complete discussion:
Catching Up With Mike & Alison
The primary topic the co-hosts dove into this week was the ongoing workforce upheaval. As the COVID-19 pandemic slowly concludes, employees across the country are beginning to question whether they want to give up remote work. They’ve experienced what a better work/life balance could feel like, and not everybody wants to go back to how it was.
The remote work model offers a number of benefits that you’ve likely taken notice of over the course of the pandemic. Remote workers have seen the benefits as well:
- 77% of remote employees say they’re more productive when working from home
- 76% of employees prefer to avoid their office completely when they need to concentrate on a project
- 98% of remote workers want to continue to work remotely (at least some of the time) for the rest of their careers
Alison noted that remote work gives people valuable flexibility. They can change where they live without affecting their commute. They can work more flexible hours that aren’t defined by the workday.
It has become very common for workers to start requesting hybrid work arrangements. Managers and employers that insist on a full-time return to the office have found that some employees are willing to resign and look for remote work elsewhere. As a CHG Healthcare study found, only 9% of respondents were interested in returning to work in the office.
Mike noted the employees’ logic in this situation. If they’ve been maintaining productivity and their quality of work from home, why should they have to start coming into the office again?
As true as that is for some people, however, Alison noted that it’s not necessarily consistent across the board. Those who have children at home, or lack a defined workspace have likely found it more difficult to be productive. These people are likely looking forward to returning to the office, where they have an environment more conducive to work.
These two sides show why it’s important to approach the situation on a case-by-case basis. Employers that are willing to facilitate hybrid working models, which provide staff members with the flexibility to work where and when they’ll be more productive, will have the best results for the company as a whole.
For the complete discussion with Mike & Alison, make sure to check out the full episode of the Mike And Alison After Hours podcast.
Want to be a guest on our show? Contact Mike or Alison today! If your company is looking for the most secure IT support contact Mike at mshelah@getadvantage.com or call 443-773-2391. If you are looking for the best HR support money can buy at the best price, then contact Alison at ahaase1315@gmail.com or call 443-823-5480
Thanks to our sponsor Advantage Industries: www.getadvantage.com, and special thanks to our marketing team Ulistic (www.ulistic.com) for producing every episode.
