Written by Richard Bourne, 7th July 2026

When considering working from home, employers need to look beyond whether a job can technically be done remotely. The real question is whether the role, the employee and the team can stay productive, supported and commercially effective over time.

For some office-based and commercial roles, working from home can improve productivity. Staff often benefit from less travel, fewer interruptions and more freedom to manage their working day. Experienced employees who already understand the business, the systems and the expectations may perform well when given flexibility.

However, this does not suit every role or every sector. In manufacturing, engineering, logistics and industrial environments, productivity often relies on teamwork, communication, supervision, training and hands-on experience. Many skills are developed by being around experienced people, watching how work is done, asking quick questions and learning from real situations on the shop floor, in the warehouse or within the office.

This is especially important when recruiting new staff. A candidate may have the right attitude and potential, but still need time to learn the business, understand processes, build confidence and develop sector-specific skills. In areas such as engineering recruitment, manufacturing recruitment, industrial recruitment, logistics recruitment and commercial recruitment, the ability to learn from others can be just as important as previous experience.

Sales and recruitment roles are another good example. Calls, emails and CRM activity can be done from home, but it is difficult to recreate the energy of a busy sales office. The atmosphere, pace, shared wins, quick feedback and team motivation all help to drive performance. New starters in sales, customer service and recruitment often learn faster when they are surrounded by experienced colleagues.

Employers should also think about culture. Many staff enjoy the freedom that comes with home working, and flexibility can help with morale, retention and work-life balance. However, too much remote working can make teams feel disconnected. Communication can slow down, training can become harder and newer employees may feel isolated.

For many businesses, hybrid working offers the best balance. It gives employees the flexibility they value while still creating time for training, mentoring, team meetings, collaboration and workplace learning. Office-based days can be used to build skills, support new starters and maintain team energy, while home-working days can be used for focused tasks, administration, planning and reporting.

The most productive approach is not always fully remote or fully office-based. Employers should consider the role, the sector, the experience level of the employee, the training required and the importance of team interaction. For businesses across manufacturing, engineering, logistics, industrial and commercial sectors, productivity is often strongest when flexibility is balanced with structure, communication and the opportunity to learn from others.