In recent years, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in hybrid work setups. Remote Teams meetings instead of face-to-face, online sharing tools as the default, and of course the rise of working from home. All of these guarantee practical benefits, less time commuting and a better work-life balance. So of course I would suggest you they should be your preference, right? Well, not quite.
When I first joined The Social Hub, I was surprised at the sheer coziness and comfort of the headquarters office: fully stocked cafeteria, comfy velvet armchairs and colorful walls, musk-covered pillars, decorations all around, low surrounding music, polaroids, plants and more plants. The office organization surprised me even more: open space setup, no fixed desk positions and a lot of different booths or free seating areas. Was this not a corporate office? Was I in the wrong place? The space looked exactly like my dream study café in Amsterdam, minus the overpriced coffee.
Throughout the weeks, I slowly became acquainted with the space. I knew where to go for the comfiest chairs, the perfect booths for the crowded, noisy days and the most efficient meetings rooms. Work was still work, but I started to look forward to the smoothies on Wednesday mornings, the vast choice of meals for lunch and the weekly after-work drinks.
After a month of working there, I had the opportunity to schedule a few days a week of working from home. The idea seemed enticing: more sleep, less distractions, no transport needed. However, I still found myself drawn to the office over and over again. I settled on working from home one day a week, but I quickly found that at the end of each Friday, I would feel a little different than I usually would. Perhaps more rested, but not quite as accomplished, although I had done the same amount of work.
I realized that what made those days feel so hollow was the lack of memories. The experience of routinely getting my tea in the morning, catching up with colleagues over weekend plans, taking the stairs instead of the elevator on days I was feeling motivated. But also getting stuck in traffic, fearing for my laptop on days of extreme Dutch weather and busy days of staying over time with fellow interns to finish projects or university assignments.
It is during these in-between times, like a coffee break or a run-in in the hallway, that I learned what online meetings and days from home couldn’t possibly teach me: the personalities and habits of the people working with me, which helped me better navigate team dynamics, the tasks and projects of the other interns, which often turned out to be useful to me as well, and the unexpected chances to network with people I wouldn’t have otherwise met.
I finally understood why The Social Hub put so much effort into building a comfortable, efficient and inclusive space: feeling supported and at ease at your workplace and familiar with the people around you is the first step for achieving not only higher productivity, but also great work-life balance and self-satisfaction. So my one piece of advice for future interns is: do yourself a favor, get that metro in the morning and head to the office.