The Working from Home (WFH) Revolution and the Rise of the Introvert

Whatever else comes of the times we are living in 2020, one thing that is sure to have been changed forever, is the cultural paradigm of working from home.  Previously the acceptance of having employees working from home varied widely from industry to industry and from company to company.

More progressive companies, usually in the software industry were more accepting of employees who wanted to work from home for much of the work week, sometimes for all of it.  Those employees that did work from home were more likely to have an individual agreement with their employer rather than through a corporate wide WFH policy.

Companies were also beginning to embrace shared workspaces with co-location and flexible office arrangements.  Company Human Resource departments were beginning to tout the importance of work/life balance.

We do not need to tell you that all these movements that were trickling along have now exploded out of necessity.  The tools and ability existed prior to Covid 19, but what is going to leave the lasting mark is the cultural shift that happened.  Companies realize that people working from home are not less productive.  Managers have learned to adopt  Only the most out of touch institutions will insist on mandating all employees back to the office when the coast is clear.

It is very clear that the WFH revolution is here to stay.  The important thing now is to ponder what this means.  What does it mean for workers?  What does it mean for companies?  What does it mean for our society?

Busy parents juggling between work and home commitments will find it easier to adapt to changing schedules due to the flexibility afforded with their new work arrangements.  While initially this will help, we believe that activities that were traditionally scheduled at certain times of day may now be scheduled at previously unusual times.  For example, online meetings after dinner time or children activities during the business day.  Employees calendars becoming increasingly crowded with personal commitments during business hours.  The time of ‘putting the time in’ is gone.  Working 9-5 when the way of the dodo bird.  It’s over.   This will have both good and bad impacts on employees, companies, and society but we believe that it will be largely beneficial to all concerned, with some growing pains along the way.

• Workers will need to be able to demonstrate their value easily in a manner that is easily quantifiable. Time sheets are out.  Tasks are in.
• Companies & managers must be able to effectively measure employee productivity with other metrics. Those that can, will thrive while those than cannot, will wither.
• This does not mean that the death of the office is inevitable, but we do believe there will be fundamental changes to the office culture. Power will no longer be demonstrated through the large corner office.  It will need to be increasingly shown through results.
• People are social animals. The cliché of water cooler talk is still applicable.  We think that this will mean a lot of employees will still choose to come to the office regularly once or more per week.
• Office politics will change. People who excelled in playing the political game will be less likely to control the narrative of office culture.  They will struggle with this new paradigm, technology tools will help assert some influence, but inevitably with less control, comes less politics.
• There will be lots of changes to companies, employees & society but one long term trend we think will stay be with us, that has not received much discussion yet, is the Rise of the Introvert.

Over the past few decades, introverts were thriving in the technology industry.  People who previously may have struggled to be successful could find a niche in the technology industry and thrive – usually in a coding type role.  The Working from Home revolution is going to be a huge tailwind for Introverts.  Increasingly, they will rise in other roles where previously an outgoing, extrovert personality was required.  Positions where politics played a large role will be opened to a whole new talent pool.  The workplace has changed, and the introverts have won.

Companies & employees that come to understand this before their peers will gain a competitive advantage.