Back to the office or continue in smart working, that is the question (of managers)

It is the doubt of doubts, the one that crosses the minds of many managers: to return to the office or to continue in smart working? If we analyse what has happened in the last five years, from pre-Covid-19 to the present, we can identify three rather definite phases: the first is what we could call 100 per cent presence, with very few isolated cases of remote working; the second - starting in February/March 2020 - is full remote working, a forced choice due to restrictions. And who can forget meetings on video, coffee breaks together but at a distance, at home, the lucky ones at the beach or in the garden and the less fortunate all crammed into a few square metres in the city centre?

Until then, no one would have dared to propose a completely remote solution or to request it as an alternative to physical presence. I remember the terrified look on some acquaintances' faces when, in 2016, at the creation of my start-up, I proposed web-based interviews. Most of the time I was told that the interviews were and should only be face-to-face.

In 2021, phase three opens, which could be a synthesis of the first two: a few days in the office and a few days at home. A phase that has allowed companies to reduce the square metres of their offices and cut down on energy or office management costs. All this obviously applies to the so-called white-collar workers, because everything connected with production could not benefit from either of the last two phases.

But what is happening today and why? In many sectors, starting with IT, we have started to see a progressive return to the office in person, first four out of five days and then five out of five. Objectively, this is an industry that post-Covid-19 has undergone a major turnaround after seeing its profits soar - during and immediately after the pandemic - with the hiring of so many resources that later turned out to be excessive once consumption returned to normal. Many of these professionals had been hired with fully remote solutions and bringing them back in was probably the most immediate solution to push some to decide to stop working. One has to think that in countries like the United States, moving from one coast to another often means covering distances of five hours' flight and at least two time zones, perhaps with completely different taxation. And not everyone is willing to give up the chance to take advantage of all the benefits the remote has to offer.

After seeing a certain work efficiency from everyone during the remote working period, the part-time return to the office saw a drop in productivity especially during the remote days. Somewhat as if staying at home was seen as a chance to work a little more relaxed and less focused on what is needed. In support of this there is also the fact that in some companies, for example, there have been instances of substitution especially for positions where constant connection is not required. A bit like illegal subcontracting, if we wanted to simplify and trivialise. Those who work remotely can be hardly controllable and this has allowed some to perform several tasks at once, perhaps with the help of others.