Recently, we have seen a shift in working patterns and policies with several high-profile banks and companies demanding more ‘in-office’ days such as JP Morgan, UPS and Dell. Just this week, Amazon have ordered staff back to the office five days a week, ending their hybrid working policy.
Michelmores enjoys a hybrid working policy, with some teams encouraging in-office team days once or twice a week, but as a trainee, what are the benefits of working from the home or office? I have set out a few things I have learnt from my first eight months, below.
Connecting and building relationships
Naturally, being in the office in person makes connecting with colleagues so much easier. Meetings can be done via Teams, and documents can be edited in tracked changes, but it is the offline de-brief, the chat while your tea is brewing and the spontaneous after-work beer(s) that really help you get to know your colleagues.
Office hot-desking means you sit amongst other teams, partners, and support staff, rapidly growing your internal network, which any seasoned trainee will tell you, is invaluable. In an increasingly digital world, those people skills and the art of small talk really are effective when you are starting out on your training contract.
Second-hand learning
From listening to Partners in meetings and on phone calls, to watching support staff navigate the IT systems and format documents, I have learnt from others. You will invariably hear someone on a call carefully dealing with a client and think, “I’m pinching that”, or see a paralegal effortlessly cruise through the HM Land Registry system, completing the task which you’ve been tearing your hair out at for longer than you care to admit, in about four clicks. The office is brilliant for learning from others, don’t suffer in silence at home thinking you’ll crack it when someone will happily show you in a tenth of the time over your shoulder.
Self-advertisement
There is a lot to be said for turning up three or four days per week, on-time (flexi-working applies), in an ironed shirt, shaking hands in-person and using your p’s and q’s. As we were all told on school trips, you are representing your firm; to clients, opposing firms and intermediaries. Your training contract is often referred to as your two-year interview, so bear that in mind. Partners and senior colleagues do appreciate it, and from day one you are essentially advertising yourself as a professional, and if nothing else, fake it ’til you make it, right?!
Improve focus
As brilliant as the office can be, when you are twelve pages deep in the Government’s inheritance tax manuals trying to work out whether those shares qualify for relief, a loud corporate call, or Sally showing the office pictures of her new puppy can be an unwelcome distraction. Some days you just need to write out your to-do list, set your Teams to DND, turn your phone over and get your head down, and the option of homeworking is perfect for that.
Feedback and ‘silly’ questions
No doubt this one could also go in the section above with the option of pulling someone aside to quietly ask them something at their desk, however, I found I was more comfortable asking the ‘silly’ questions from the sanctity of my home office rather than in a bank of open plan desks. Our teams are spread over numerous offices, so you often find yourself having to call someone based elsewhere for information about a matter, or to receive some constructive feedback. Nobody enjoys running through lines of red tracked changes on a document while sitting next to a senior colleague in their first few weeks. I found I could get much more out of the feedback I received by going red in the face and noting down the improvements in privacy, until I was happy to do the same in the office.
Working flexibly and protecting yourself as a trainee
You may be an early bird, or a night owl, you might do school runs, you might need to clear your head at lunch, maybe you have a doctor’s appointment at 3pm. At Michelmores, our hybrid-working policy allows you to be the best version of yourself. Your training contract or apprenticeship is going to be hard enough, so make sure you look yourself. People here respect your working hours, and nobody wants trainees to burn out. Working from home gives you the opportunity to get some fresh air, put some laundry on and save yourself time and money commuting. As a trainee, some days you’ll need the extra hour in bed, I promise.
Ultimately, it will come down to personal preference. Michelmores celebrates hybrid working and I enjoy being able to come into the office and catching up with colleagues, as well as the option to catch up on some life admin and go on a lunch time run. Most importantly, make sure you find a structure and balance that works for you.
