As businesses evolve, so do their corporate cultures and working styles. Many companies prefer the “old school” attitude of everyone being in the office every day and working in cubicles, while others encourage a less restrictive approach. But which working tactic better fits the present-day world? To get different perspectives, we sat down with the Naysayer, an employee at Corporation Company, Inc. and the Yeasayer, who works at commercetools, for a spirited debate on the topic.
Interviewer: First of all, thanks to you both for sitting down with me and having a chat. I’m really interested to hear about the experiences you’ve had working at your companies. Let’s dive straight into it. In each of your jobs, what are your working hours like?
Naysayer: I love working the ol' 9 to 5. Well, technically, I guess it’s the ol’ 8 to 6. If I’m even a minute late, I get written up and am given a thorough scolding, so it’s easier if I just show up extra early. I also leave a full hour later than I’m supposed to, so my bosses know I’m working super hard. Apparently, it makes me look lazy if I leave on time. I totally don’t mind working more hours than I’m supposed to without extra pay and being treated like a child.
Yeasayer: I don’t necessarily go into the office every day. Sometimes I need to go in to see my colleagues, but even then, I don’t have to spend the entire day there if I don’t want to. Most of the time I work from home. Some days I work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on others I work from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It all depends on whether or not I need to pick up my kids, run errands or cook dinner. As long as I attend all my meetings and complete my tasks, my boss doesn’t mind when I work. For them, it’s about outcomes, not hours.
Interviewer: What’s your opinion about remote working?
Naysayer: How will all my supervisors know how hard I’m working if they don’t constantly come by my desk to microman... — coughs — check up on me? Also, think about what would happen to their huge office downtown if we all went remote! I’m cool with having to live with my adult son and sleep on his kitchen floor because I have to live in a city with astronomical rent, all so I can show up at the office. Tell me, what’s the alternative? Living outside the city and commuting for two hours each way to get to work? I mean, I still do have an hour’s commute because of the city traffic, but such is life, right?
Yeasayer: Well, I love remote working because I really can work from anywhere — often without having to wear pants. Just kidding! I make sure to at least wear pajama bottoms. I live outside the city where my office is located, so my rent is cheaper plus the quality of life is better. Since I don’t have to commute so much, I also save money on gas and — best of all — save time. I have plenty of free time to pursue my hobbies, hangout with my family and friends and, generally, just chill out. Plus, I can work abroad for up to 60 days per year if I want to. I recently worked from Thailand for one month and, next, I’m going to work from Costa Rica! I can’t wait to start my days with a morning surf and work to the sounds of the rainforest, and then take some days off to explore.
Interviewer: Naysayer, are you crying?
Naysayer: No. Someone must be chopping onions nearby.
Interviewer: Right. Well anyway, now I’d like to ask for your opinions on how each of your companies advocates for diversity and inclusion in their workplaces.
Naysayer: Nothing is more important to our company than diversity and inclusion. We make a concerted effort to value people from all walks of life and ensure everyone feels valued. That’s why — hahaha…psyche! Of course everyone isn’t valued at my company. Why should they be? Some people suck at what they do. And diversity? What are we, snowflakes? Those lazy, entitled 25-year-old millennials with their avocado toast think everyone deserves a seat at the table and promotions should be based on "hard work" instead of who you know. As if that’ll ever change!
Yeasayer: You do realize millennials are like, in their 40s, right? More to the point: You can’t have a modern working environment without diversity and inclusivity. These values are 100% reflected in commercetools' workforce. commercetools actively hires a variety of identities and treats everyone equitably, and ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute and influence every level of our workplace. Not only that, there’s diversity across all levels — even at the top.
Do I feel valued at my job? No. But do I like the work that I do? Also no. Wait, what was my point again?
Generic Manager, Corporation Company, Inc.
Companies today need to shed traditional working environments in favor of transparency, trust, autonomy and respectful communication to attract and retain a talented workforce.
Backend Developer, commercetools
Interviewer: What was the application process like in your respective companies before you got hired?
Naysayer: Pretty simple. I sent my CV and cover letter, then had to sign up to the company’s job portal. Then, I had to manually fill in everything in my CV on their job application website. After, I waited about two months for a recruiter to contact me and another couple of weeks to schedule a meeting. I went to the main office to talk to a couple of managers, where they grilled me with a good cop, bad cop interview routine. But they did make sure to tell me all about their generous benefits, such as free water. Then all I had to do was wait another four months, have another four interviews and hang on another month for an email that said they were processing my application. I received an offer shortly after that the following year. Wait, did I say simple? I meant incredibly convoluted. But isn’t that just the way applying for jobs goes?
Yeasayer: Um…not really. For commercetools, I applied with only my CV through their job portal. I received an immediate follow-up email from a recruiter in which we scheduled a video call in a couple of days where we chatted about the role, the company, the extensive benefits and my expectations. I had a couple more calls, met my future team and received an offer a few days later. All in all, the hiring process was simple, efficient and took around two weeks.
Naysayer: *Whispering to Yeasayer* Is commercetools hiring?
Interviewer: What was that?
Naysayer: Nothing.
If you want to experience how awesome working in a modern working environment can be, feel free to check out the commercetools Careers page.
