How to strategically answer whether you prefer to work from home or the office

Whether you’re looking for a new job or gearing up for a return to the office, the pandemic has created an environment where you may have more flexibility around your work conditions. And you could find yourself having to answer a critical question: Do you want to work from home or the office? This is how to answer it and get the outcome you want.

Why it’s an important question

“Employees have figured out how to maximize productivity at home and employers have learned that they don’t have a leg to stand on in most cases if they want to require people to return to the office full-time,”Alexis Haselberger, productivity, time management and leadership coach and former HR Director.

That being said, even if you do have more leverage than in the past, the way you answer that question can impact your career development.

“There are some types of jobs where collaboration and relationship-building are more important than in other roles. And if you are in a role where that’s important, then it does make sense to consider spending some of your time in the office, where relationship-building is still easier to do.”

You also want to consider what to say if you’re asked the question in a job interview versus an existing job. So it’s best not to wing it when prompted.

Ladders asked Haselberger — who has helped hundreds of people successfully navigate the transition to WFH and back to the office again throughout the pandemic at companies including Google, Lyft, and Capital One — for her tips on strategically answering if you prefer to work from home or the office.

1. Honesty is the best policy

Honesty is the best policy, but that also means being super honest with yourself about what you’re willing to compromise on.

“Consider what truly works well for you, and the upper and lower bounds of what you are willing to do. For instance, in your ideal world, you might never want to return to the office, but what’s the maximum number of days per week you’d be willing to return?” says Haselberger.

Once you have a better idea of your ideal scenario as well as what you’d be willing to concede if negotiation ensues, answer honestly.

“If you prefer to work at home, say that, and say why. If you prefer the office, say that, and say why. If you prefer to work a hybrid schedule so you can collaborate in person and get deep work done at home, say that!”

It might be tempting to tell them what they want to hear, but that could end up backfiring and hurting you in the long-term, she says.

“This is not a time to try to game the system and figure out what the other party wants you to say. As a former HR professional, the answer I always want is the honest answer. Otherwise, I’m going to have unhappy employees and unhappy managers if we’re all dancing around what we think others want to hear.”

2. Avoid making it about your personal life

While being honest is great, it’s also important to stay relevant and help your boss or potential boss build a case in your favor if needed. That means avoiding mentioning reasons related to your personal life and focusing on compelling business arguments instead, according to Haselberger.

“Avoid making the answer about anything other than the quality of your work. For instance, don’t say ‘I’d really like to work at home because it’s easier for me to manage my household responsibilities.’ That may be true, but to your boss, or potential boss, these are not compelling reasons. Stick with valid business reasons that your boss can defend to her boss if necessary.”

3. How to answer the question in a job interview

Now that you know how to approach this question in general, you might be wondering what to do when asked this question in an interview setting.

And, again, it’s all about being genuine. Because you don’t want to end up in a scenario where you hate your job and quit — or miss out on the opportunity to get what you want just because you were afraid to mention it.

“Job interviews are not about trying to impress the other party or convince them into hiring you. Interviews should be a genuine two-way process to see if the role and person are a good fit. If you say you love to work from home and you don’t, you’re going to suffer and so is your work, and vice versa,” says Haselberger.

4. How to answer the question in a current job

If you’re currently employed, things could get trickier depending on your managers’ stance. For example, if she thinks everyone should be back in the office and you don’t want to return, you might need to employ persuasive tactics. Haselberger suggests preparing talking points and offering to test things out first.

“Prepare talking points for how working from home will benefit your work and the team. Be prepared to compromise. And use the language of experimentation, which is often more effective than using language of change. Everyone’s willing to experiment; no one wants to change,” says Haselberger.

For example, you could say something like, “I’ve found that working from home is incredibly productive for me, much more so than when I was in the office every day. Would you be open to me staying home for the next three months and we can assess at that time if it’s working well for the team?”