We asked the question, “If you could choose, would you prefer working remotely, at an office or a combination of the two?”
R
0
“A combination of the two, without a doubt. There are certain tasks that I must perform at work and it’s important for me to see my colleagues in person on a regular basis. However, I can focus on a task much better in the comfort of my home, without interruption, and I do not have to fight traffic just to sit in a meeting room.” – DAYNE KEMP, SPACECRAFT INTEGRATION AND TEST LEAD AND LEAD SYSTEMS ENGINEER AT NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTRE
R
0
“I would choose to work between both, as I have grown to appreciate the work-from-home flexibility. Typically, this kind of flexibility in work-life balance is only unlocked after many years of work and, in addition, this period has identified a multitude of inefficiencies with going into a permanent place of work during the week. Having said that, there remains a strong appeal to being in an office environment with your colleagues all working towards the same goal. I am eager to see how the corporates and SMMEs adapt to the ‘new norm’ and find a way to accommodate both methods in order to optimise productivity and minimise expenditure.” – NIKHAL NARISMULU, FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF ARC TECHNOLOGY
76 / CAREERS SERVICE GUIDE 2021
What do our grads say? R
0
REMOTE
OFFICE
R
0
“A combination of the two would definitely be my preference! Being a young person with so much to learn, working from a permanent office is great for realtime collaboration and watercooler advice on the fly. It’s also a great way to connect with co-workers and build formidable friendships. At the same time, having the option to work from home during tough deadlines or on cold, rainy days is relieving.” – ZAK ESSA, INNOVATIVE FINANCE CONSULTANT AT BERTHA CENTRE FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
R
0
“I would prefer an 80/20 split – 80% of my time spent working from home and 20% of the time working in an office. I like the convenience of working from home and it allows me to use “freed up” time (read: no traffic) to spend with friends and family, doing hobbies and staying active and healthy. However, there are also a lot of benefits from working at the office: internal networking, faceto-face collaboration and brainstorming sessions, socialising with coworkers over lunch and workplace events. Those moments cannot easily be replicated in a virtual environment and does add to one’s job satisfaction and feeling part of a community.” – LEE SHACKSNOVIS, ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY AT CLIFFE DEKKER HOFMEYR INC
