Four Ways Working in the Office Positively Affects Company Culture

Here are a few points that I feel help build a thriving team culture and a successful business:

1. Collaboration Is Easier – Now, before I get 100 emails stating why you can collaborate just as easily online or what simple piece of software makes face-to-face meetings just as productive, let me explain. I’m not saying you CAN’T collaborate online, but I will tell you that tech-free collaboration IS much easier and allows for more open communication than online due to the fact that there are far less barriers between you and the other person(s). Spur-of-the-moment ideas and brainstorming can flow much faster when you don’t have to wait for the delay of the client’s glitchy meeting software. Not to mention being able to read the other person’s body language.
   
   
2. Build Better Relationships – Obviously, the best teams have the strongest relationships with each other. Seeing and hearing other coworkers in the office allows you to ask how they are feeling or what is happening in their life outside of work. As humans, this is a foundation to create a sense of community and caring. And if you’re the boss, this definitely gives you a better understanding of where people are at mentally or if they are struggling inside or outside of their job and allows you to address it much faster.
   
   I would be lying if I told you that I didn’t build some of the best coworker relationships simply by bumping into them at a coffee break or sitting next to them at lunch and having a conversation. Working at the office with your team gives you a sense of belonging and, dare I say, “Family.” Let’s face it, even your BFFs are never just virtual.
   
   
3. Work hard & Play hard – We have a deep philosophy at BizStream of “Work Hard, Play Hard.” Believe me when I say that our team takes it to the Nth degree in both directions, it’s even baked into the employees’ benefits package. From the simple 4 o’clock social hour, a rivaled game of Foosball, catered social lunches, or an entire afternoon dedicated to a themed party, just to name a few. Our celebrations are big. We celebrate, not only with our internal teams but with our clients, when we launch a new website, a new application, or really for any reason we can actually conjure up. Obviously, being at the office makes these celebrations much more meaningful and helps build strong relationships.
   
   Without failing to mention how hard the team works, we definitely put our time in together to make client projects successful, and, as mentioned above, collaboration and relationships make it a better outcome for all involved.
   
   
4. You are no longer “just a number” – Let’s face it, the pandemic has shifted the workforce to necessitate more flexibility in work schedules and the need/option to work from home for various reasons. I get it. However, as we have all seen in the past several years, companies have a responsibility to scale back their workforce and hiring efforts to maintain a bottom line. When cuts and layoffs are inevitable, I believe those who work mostly in the office and have built deep relationships with others will be regarded much higher than someone who has never set foot in the office (excluding out-of-state or remote coworkers, of course). Everyone has the ability to be more than just a number, and I believe an in-office team culture creates more longevity for an employee in more ways than one.