We at WAS Germany believe a great working atmosphere and satisfied staff are of the utmost importance – which is why all our employees have the option to work from home one day a week. But for our new Head of International Sales, Eugen Deperschmidt, we are going even further. Given that some 300 kilometres lie between Eugen’s home and our headquarters, he has become our first fully remote employee – yes, even as a manager!
Since Eugen joined us at the beginning of April, he has been supporting WAS Germany mainly from home. We talked to him about his special workplace and the advantages of remote work for both employees and the company.
“It’s really important for me to be able to reconcile my family and my career,” Eugen tells us. “Fortunately, WAS Germany has made this possible with my new remote position.”
Remote work is booming. But while some still harbour concerns about potential problems in communication and project progress, we are venturing further down the remote work road. Advances in digitalisation and positive experiences during the lockdown period have shown us that it is high time for a change in the way we work – and that in the areas where remote work is feasible, everyone can benefit from it.
“For me, the main plus of working remotely is that I can increase my productivity. The way I work at home is much more structured and results-orientated. I also like the fact that I can plan my working hours flexibly, which gives me more time with my family. So, it’s a win-win for me and the company,” emphasises family-man Eugen.
What even is “remote work” anyway?
Remote work is the same as working from home, right? Well, not quite, because remote work can take place in any location – at home, on the road, or even under the shade of a palm tree on a tropical beach. The only prerequisite is that the work can be completed, which usually requires nothing more than a laptop, a mobile phone and an internet connection.
“WAS Germany provides me with everything I need to do my job remotely,” Eugen explains. “I have the right hardware, internal IT access and a constant data exchange. Day-to-day communication with my colleagues – via [MS] Teams, for example – works wonderfully.”
Our Head of International Sales has prior experience working from home and knows how to best structure his days: he retreats to his home office during fixed working hours and schedules his breaks flexibly. This way, he can take on some of the household tasks or go shopping – which makes family life easier and his work more productive.
“Working remotely as a manager sounds like quite a challenge at first, but I have great confidence in my team,” says Eugen. “I received really good on-site training in the company’s structures and processes at the headquarters in Rosengarten, where I was also able to meet my entire team. I work in very close coordination with my colleagues and regularly travel to the office so that we can share ideas in person.”
Mobile working has many advantages for WAS Germany. First and foremost, it enables us to improve the well-being of our employees, which increases efficiency. And the employees themselves also benefit from this, of course – even if it’s just one day a week:
But, as with most things in life, it comes down to the individual: while mobile work offers considerable advantages for some, others really need to come into the office to achieve their full potential.
What do you think? Is remote work already an integral part of your job or do you prefer coming into the office every day? Head to our Linkedin or Instagram and let us know.
Previous