I don’t know about you but I still head into the office from my home at least 2-3 days a week and sometimes more. Why? Mainly because I get tired of not being near people I need to meet with for business and prefer to coordinate my meetings with people into one or two days. Apparently, I am not alone. According to a survey published on Statista, most people in Japan feel the same (see chart below).
We Are Social Beasts
I feel like the trains in Tokyo are back to thier regular levels (pre-COVID days) and while the commute is more tollerable than before, it is still more packed than I imagined. I think it is because of some of the following reasons:
- We enjoy being face-to-face with colleagues and people we do business with
- Most people feel more productive in the office than at home
- It is nice to have a balance (not 100% or 0%)
- We are tired of being at home
The chart above and many other news and media stories also tend to agree with this trend. However, according to an article in Nikkei Asia, many companies in Japan (even very traditional ones) are changing to a hyrbid model or allowing some people (depending on the situation) to work completely remotely.
Working Remotely is Key to Attracting (and Keeping ) Talent
Most of the companies I work with offer a hybrid work environment where employees can choose their own schedules. I speak with a lot of candidates about their careers and motivators to change jobs and one of the first questions they ask is about the remote working policy. It is still a valid reason to stay or leave a company. Employers that understand this and have solid WFH policies in place and allow more professional freedom, tend to keep existing talent and attract new ones.
Power in the Balance
Having the ability to control our own schedules (and life) is key to staying productive and staying sane. I know for me, on some days, I need to be in the office and other times, I need to be at my desk at home. But having that choice is key to work/life balance and where employees can feel empowered or burdened. I think it will continue to be a challenge to balance both sides of our life but companies that help employees how to do it will come out ahead and so will their employees.
Positions That Offer Most Flexibility
According to various sources in Japan and globally, below are some of the careers that are the most remote-friendly:
- IT Engineers
- Marketing Managers
- Recruiters
- Business Consultants
- Trainers/Educators
- Media & Graphics Designers
- Data Scientists/Analysts
We are working with some great companies that are hiring and offer hybrid options to take more control of your career and life.
Check out some of our open roles or reach out to let us know about your remote working preferences.
What’s your preference? Let us know how you feel about your current work environment and share your stories with us. Comment below or contact me directly by email or Linked In.