Work models: Is the channel in or out of the office?
Four-day weeks, remote working, and office commuting; CRN sits down with channel vets to understand which trends are shaping the future of work
While the question did not even arise before 2020, choosing the adequate work model is now a cross-industry hot topic.
Some praise hybrid and remote working for enhancing work-life balance and efficiency, others turn back to a full in-office model to preserve company culture and boost performances.
As the debate rages on, CRN spoke with channel experts to understand where the IT sector is headed, and what they see as the best option for both employers and employees.
While CRN tried to reach out to Amazon and Dell, two tech organisations who chose to go back to an in-office work model, they both declined to answer our questions.
“This is not something that they wish to contribute to,” said a Dell spokesperson.
“We won’t be contributing to this one,” said an Amazon spokesperson.
Amazon’s CEO previously explained the reasons behind this decision in a letter shared with its employees in September 2024.
“We’ve observed that it’s easier for our teammates to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture,” wrote Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon.
“Collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing are simpler and more effective.
“Teaching and learning from one another are more seamless, and teams tend to be better connected to one another.”
Zoe Chatley, founder and CEO of The Channel Recruiter explained that these are not isolated cases.
“Employers are trying to shift expectation,” she explains.
“We have a number of clients who are trying to move back to a more office-based working model and getting push back from existing employees.
“When hiring new employees, it’s easier to set expectations with those who are just starting with you.”
But while new employees would more willingly accept to work in a full in-office setting, she adds that most candidates look for “hybrid as a minimum.”
In addition to her analysis, CRN sat down with IT figureheads from Highgate IT Solutions, Robertson Sumner, SYNAXON UK, and Truly SMB to better comprehend which work models the channel is setting up and evolving to.
Do you work based on an in-office/hybrid or remote work model? If working hybrid or remote, was this implemented during COVID or was it already in place before the pandemic?
Jenny Latimer, operations director at Highgate IT Solutions: “Highgate is a 100 per cent remote, work anywhere organisation.
“We’ve always had this model since our inception in 2010.
“Highgate was founded to be a remote company; our MD was working at an office-based reseller and was seeking a better work/life balance.”
Marc Sumner, CEO of Robertson Sumner: “We work on a hybrid model, but we are slowly seeing a willingness for people to return to the office.
“Currently our team is in the office four days per week and works from home on Fridays.
“We also have some contractors who work from home full-time but are welcome in the office.
“We were 100 per cent office-based before COVID hit.”
Mike Barron, managing director at SYNAXON UK: “While we did have office premises in the UK for a number of years, today we are completely virtual.
“Team members were able to work remotely pre-pandemic, but after that we switched to the fully virtual working approach we operate today.
“In Germany, SYNAXON has a fully hybrid working model - no one is required to come into the office unless it’s to attend regular team meetings.”
Vicky Critchley, CEO of Truly SMB: “We are a new international business, but we operate a hybrid model.
“People who live near to the office are expected to come in as much as possible, while remote people work full-time online.”
What tech challenges - if any - have you faced when transitioning from an in-office to a hybrid work model?
Jenny Latimer: “As we have always been remote, we haven’t faced transition hurdles.
“However, we still face challenges, such as when an employee’s device has an issue.
“Rather than pull out a backup device from the IT cupboard, we have to ship it to the team member, or wait for our next day break fix to kick in.
“This can cause downtime, and results in lost productivity.”
Marc Sumner: “We weren’t really set up with the tech to facilitate home working, so we transitioned everything into the cloud, started moving into a Microsoft Teams environment and got everybody laptops.
“It only took two or three weeks for us to make the necessary changes.”
Mike Barron: “We are fortunate at SYNAXON UK as our back-office team in Germany looks after all our remote working needs.
“We’ve not had any significant challenges from a technical perspective.”
Vicky Critchley: “As we started the business with hybrid in mind, it was easy as all tech is in the cloud.
“The most challenging part is the physical hardware shipping.”
Chatley’s analysis: “ Realistically, there aren’t many challenges that companies will face when moving to a hybrid or totally remote model.
“As long as they can provide their employee with the basics of what they need to do their job, and the employee has decent Wi-Fi, in theory it’s pretty easy.”
What do you think are the benefits of in-office vs hybrid and vice versa?
Jenny Latimer: “There’s a lot of benefits to both, but it comes down to the individual and their values.
“When I’m asked how Highgate attracts those that like to work in an office, I always say that we understand being fully remote isn’t what everyone is looking for and therefore, Highgate isn’t the right place for them.
“However, there are a high number of individuals that see working remotely as a value-add rather than a compromise, and it suits their work/life balance.”
Marc Sumner: “In-office means we are more effectively able to collaborate - we are a sales lead organisation, and the sales team works best when they are sharing ideas and motivating and driving each other on.
“This cannot be easily replicated in a virtual world.
“For certain roles there is definitely a benefit of working from home, where the distractions are perhaps fewer.
“For example, our marketing manager works for home twice per week as they need more time to generate content, write articles, blogs, and prepare for events, which probably is easier when away from a busy sales floor.”
Mike Barron: “We can make use of the full talent pool, and our teams don’t have to commute.
“That saves time and money, we don’t need to rent and manage and can instead act as a real incentive and benefit for everyone who works for the office space.
“It’s also better for the environment.
“Working remotely allows employees to be more flexible with their own time and get a better work-life balance and that’s really important.
“It makes them happier and more productive workers.
“Believing in and trusting our colleagues is an important element of SYNAXON’S culture that helps us foster real collaboration and team spirit.”
Vicky Critchley: “Benefits to face-to-face can’t be underestimated.
“The conversations in the ‘downtime’ are so important for forging relationships and culture.
“Benefits of remote is that you can hire anywhere, and people can also flex their day around their life commitments.”
Chatley’s analysis: “The beauty of in-office is that you get the benefit of working around your colleagues, you get the sense of camaraderie, you can easily bounce ideas off of each other, and share in positive moments as well as in challenging ones.
“For new people you also get to pick up the roles quicker through training by being able to access colleagues more easily with any questions.
“With working from home, the major benefits are that productivity levels increase.
“There aren’t as many distractions as there are in an office working environment.
“People tend to find they get a lot more done working from home than they do being in the office.”
Have you noticed any significant differences in performance between employees working in the office and those working remotely? If so, what factors contribute to these differences?
Jenny Latimer: “I can only relate this to myself, as I was not managing my team before they started at Highgate.
“I was the kid at school (and adult at work) that always got distracted!
“My ears have this horrible habit of homing in on conversations that are not relevant to me.
“Without distractions, my work rate is significantly higher and much more focused.
“My progression has happened since being remote, and I don’t think that’s by chance.”
Marc Sumner: “Yes, there are deals that would never have closed had the two people in question not been sitting next to each other in the office.
“I also think the performance from people who work from home has been more erratic and inconsistent.
“It is also interesting to note that people who have worked from home during/since COVID have struggled more with their mental health than the ones who have returned, hence why we are now moving back towards an ‘office first’ policy.”
Mike Barron: “All the members of our team work remotely, and we are very pleased with their productivity.
“All the factors mentioned previously contribute to employee satisfaction and productivity.”
Vicky Critchley: “I wouldn’t say there is a difference.
“The performance is down to the individual - they should perform regardless of where they work.
“Some people do prefer to work remotely if they perform better with no distractions.”
Zoe Chatley: “Productivity is notably improved when working remotely.
“A recent study conducted by professor Nick Bloom of Stanford University across 1,700 employees found that if you hybrid work two days a week, it reduces sick days by 12 per cent and people leaving by 38 per cent without any impact on profitability and performance.”
How do you think remote working impacts company culture? What about in-office?
Jenny Latimer: “Company culture forms the foundation of a business, its values and its purpose.
“It is in everything that the organisation does, and employees should feel it, and be part of it regardless of their location.
“It is the responsibility of the business to ensure this.”
Marc Sumner: “Hard to replicate any sort of culture when you work remotely.
“In office you create a tighter knit team, people are more likely to help each other out, collaborate, understand each other’s challenges, and drive each other forward.”
Mike Barron: “In some ways, having regular face-to-face meetings online brings us closer together.
“Of course, you can never replicate face-to-face meetings, so we have team get-togethers on a regular basis - at least once a quarter - and see each other at meetings on partner locations.”
Vicky Critchley: “You need to be very intentional about creating a hybrid culture.
“Using technology like Microsoft Teams to communicate with the team means that people are all informed and feel involved.
“Having the right tech in meeting rooms is also important so everyone can participate in meetings and events.
“Regular face-to-face catch ups with remote team members also really help.”
Chatley’s analysis: “Culture is of course affected.
“But depending on the leadership, you can still foster a strong company culture even if fully remote.
“Technology allows us multiple ways to communicate and if used well, you can still create a strong company culture and have minimal impact.”
From your experience, which work model provides the best work-life balance?
Jenny Latimer: “ For me, working remotely suits my work-life balance perfectly.
“It’s a small thing, but that lunch hour gives you the chance to do the ‘life admin’ that many find themselves doing in the evening.
“I spend my lunch walking my dog, house chores, popping to the shop, picking up deliveries, etc.
“It also helps me be healthier by making a fresh lunch daily, rather than grabbing something not as healthy for speed and ease.
“Plus, it means I get my evenings back to spend as I wish, by taking away the time spent commuting.
“I’ve got time to go to the gym, see my horse, have time with my family, and most importantly relax and switch off from the day.”
Marc Sumner: “Four days in the office and one day at home works best for us - we actually have several people who come into the office on a Friday.”
Mike Barron: “The fully remote, virtual model definitely provides a better work-life balance.
“I genuinely believe that this is what makes our team so productive.
“They can balance the things they need to do in life with their work
“It makes them happier and more dedicated.”
Vicky Critchley: “Hybrid.”
Chatley’s analysis: “The easy answer is hybrid working, but some would argue that fully remote working would give a better work-life balance.
“It totally depends on the individual and the company.
“Some who work fully remote would argue that while they get a better work-life balance, they can also feel quite isolated.
“Others would say fully remote is the best way to get a good work-life balance.
“Since COVID we have all learnt to adapt and adjust our lifestyles, and many prefer hybrid or fully remote as they get a bigger more positive impact on their home life.”
Would a mandatory in-office work model limit your company’s talent pool by making hiring geographically dependent?
Jenny Latimer: “Absolutely.
“We’ve got employees in Scotland, Devon, Midlands, Southampton, the Manchester area, Scarborough, all over the UK, and even in the Canary Islands!
“If we were restricted to an area based on where an office is located, we wouldn’t be able to have this wonderful team.
“The broad geographical reach also means that we have a very diverse team.”
Marc Sumner: “Uncertain, as one of the reasons for moving to London was to make sure we had a larger reach of candidates.”
Mike Barron: “Yes, as we’d have to be physically based somewhere.
“Our team is spread right across the country.”
Vicky Critchley: “Yes it would as we are a global company with one office in the UK.”
Chatley’s analysis: “We see a much smaller talent pool if companies only want office-based staff.
“The companies we have the most success in finding the best talent are the ones who offer hybrid or fully remote.”
Should the end of remote working be accompanied by a pay rise, given that some research suggests remote workers living in London can save up to over £5,000 annually?
Jenny Latimer: “That all comes down to what the individual’s contract states.
“If the role was always intended to be an office-based role, the employee would have known this when signing their contract.
“If, however, the contract was a hybrid working one, and the company is ending this, the company will have to balance out the options.
“They may risk losing brilliant members of staff if they enforce a full return to office.”
Marc Sumner: “No. I think the role salary should be aligned with the responsibilities and should not be based on where the employee lives and works.
“Good luck to them if they have saved £5K per annum by working from home.”
Mike Barron: “We’ll be continuing to operate a virtual model, so this is not something we’ll ever have to consider.”
Vicky Critchley: “We aren’t in London, but people do have extra expenses if they need to go into the office so maybe yes - we wouldn’t end hybrid working.”
Chatley’s analysis: “I would agree that a pay rise should be given to those who are asked to be back in the office full time.
“Companies can also offer slightly lower salaries if they are not expected in the office, especially for London commuters.”
Have you also implemented or are you thinking of implementing a four-day work week? For what reasons?
Jenny Latimer: “We have indeed!
“We are nearly three years into having a four-day work week model.
“For us, it was all around the wellbeing of our employees.
“Off the back of COVID, we were all reminded how precious time is.
“Therefore, we wanted to give our employees some time back, time to spend how they wished, with their friends, family, doing a hobby they love, life admin, etc.
“We use the 100:80:100 model, which is 100 per cent of pay, for 80 per cent of time, and 100 per cent productivity.
“We are very proud to be a four-day week company, and I believe we are still the only one in the channel!”
Marc Sumner: “We did semi introduce it - work four days in the office and only work till lunchtime on a Friday.
“Performances did slip so we changed this earlier this year, back to a five-day framework.
“We might change this back in the future, I am not against it, but we aren’t there yet.”
Mike Barron: “We have no immediate plans in the UK, but we have discussed it and studied test environments in Germany.
“All data showed an increase in productivity and only positive results.
“I think it would suit larger organisations that have the staff levels to ensure all five days of the working week are covered.”
Vicky Critchley: “Definitely not, we are a service business and need our people there five days a week.”
Chatley’s analysis: “I have long been a believer that a four-day week does improve productivity, but it can also increase stress if you are having to cram in five days’ work into four.
“It’s about time management and good organisation.
“Before I set up my business, I worked four days a week for three years and achieved the same target or higher than those working five days a week.”