WFO trumps WFH for JLL India boss, Radha Dhir says in-person interactions lead to genuine connections

Remote working seems to have taken the corporate world by storm, with many bosses and employees touting its benefits, but for Radha Dhir, CEO and Country Head, India, JLL, working from the office trumps WFH any day.

“Apart from the two months in April-June 2021 and January 2022, I have been working from the office every day,” she says. “When I come to the office and see almost all offices in our building as well as surrounding ones almost full, it gives us hope about the resilience of our business.”

Better for collaboration
Dhir, who joined JLL in January 2021 in the midst of the pandemic, says working from the office and physically meeting her colleagues eased her transition. She was finally able to meet the Asia Pacific leadership team in person in March 2022, almost 15 months after she joined. “The intangible benefit of brainstorming with all the leaders in the same room surely outweighs even the best technology and web conferencing devices,” she says.

WFH culture had taken the front seat during the pandemic but people still retain a strong affinity for the office, she says. “Today, the workplace acts as the central hub for productivity and collaboration and provides a new purpose for driving sustained human performance, experience, and well-being. While virtual interactions help us maintain relationships and keep interacting when it’s otherwise impossible, they will never have the same value as face-to-face interactions. I feel in-person interactions always lead to a genuine sense of connection. It makes people feel more connected and engaged which translates into their work.”

Pandemic learnings
Dhir says two keys things have carried her through the stresses and uncertainties of the last two years – a disciplined routine and a close friend circle featuring “people you can reach out to in the good and bad times, the ones you stayed most connected to in the last two years”.