When I took on this sports officer role, I expected crowded offices creating a genuine, balanced working environment.
As an Orange personality on the True Colours test – competitive, impulsive, and change-embracing – I thrive on in-person interaction.
But stepping into the office on Mondays now feels desolate, with empty chairs and unwashed cups leftover from Thursday.
Face-to-face hours have declined dramatically, with in-person time mostly concentrated on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We’re increasingly disappearing into Teams calls, leaving only faces behind screens.
And when we do finally meet in person, it’s often for a three-hour meeting – one that feels like a marathon without medals.
The remote shift
As an officer, I’ve always struggled to describe my work to outsiders, typically downplaying it to “student engagement and activities,” despite this being only a fraction of my role.
When an officer’s term ends, reflecting on the role is challenging, and finding the right expressions even more so. Job interviews, increasingly conducted via Teams, only complicate this.
Remote interviews offer convenience. But they strip away authentic face-to-face interaction where your full self, quirks and all, is visible. Behind a screen, it’s far too easy to hide.
Research consistently shows that nothing replaces in-person interaction for building strong relationships. Nearly 100 per cent of people believe face-to-face communication is essential for long-term relationships.
Studies highlight that in-person meetings generate about 13.36 ideas on average, compared to only 10.43 in virtual settings. These findings validate what many instinctively feel – there’s something irreplaceable about being physically present with others.
For those early in their career, this need is even more pronounced. Despite being the most-educated generation, many Gen Z graduates feel unprepared for the workplace, with over half (51 per cent) believing their education hasn’t equipped them with essential skills like negotiation, networking, and adapting to in-person work environments. The pandemic has only made the disconnect worse.
The power of physical presence
The workplace isn’t just where we perform tasks – it’s a source of social capital development. More than half of Americans report having made a close friend through their workplace (42 per cent) or a partner’s workplace (10 per cent).
These connections aren’t just pleasant additions to our work lives – they’re fundamental to our professional growth and personal well-being.
Physical presence encourages accountability and engagement. When we’re physically next to others, we’re more present and focused. It’s much harder to discreetly check emails or finish that presentation when sitting in a room with colleagues. The subtle but powerful pressure of conformity in shared spaces naturally encourages us to stay on task.
Is there still a need for actual connection through sport as we transition to hybrid existence, with a Word document on one screen and a face on the other? I’d say absolutely.
A CV is simply an A4 page outlining someone’s life – seeing them in person reveals immeasurably more about who they are. Similarly, the current growth in running clubs and gym groups shows people are craving in-person interactions. Slack channels with “Wellness Wednesdays” will never replace the organic daily face-to-face interaction that used to happen effortlessly.
In my role, sport teaches resilience, teamwork, and leadership – qualities no online platform can truly replicate. Through shared physical experiences and helping individuals grow, I’m convinced in-person interaction should remain the foundation, with hybrid options available where needed.
Building future leaders
This is particularly critical for young professionals. Research shows university-educated workers are far more likely to have a mentor than those without higher education (57 per cent vs. 31 per cent). These mentoring relationships develop more naturally in physical spaces where casual conversations and observations occur organically.
Being physically present in a workplace creates opportunities for “passive learning” – absorbing knowledge, professional norms, and organizational culture through observation.
As Malcolm Gladwell noted about his time at The Washington Post, sitting near Bob Woodward taught him more about being a reporter than reading Woodward’s books ever could.
I would never have considered writing this article if not for my in-person experiences. With learning difficulties, I’m not a naturally confident English writer, but I’ve developed skills I never would have gained without daily interaction with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
The cultural impact
The workplace isn’t just about completing tasks – it’s about building connections that create trust and loyalty. Customers with an emotional relationship with a brand have a 306 per cent higher lifetime value and recommend the company at a rate of 71 per cent, compared to the average rate of 45 per cent. These emotional bonds are built primarily through face-to-face interactions.
For companies investing in their future workforce, the implications are obvious. Young people disproportionately benefit from hands-on mentorship and coaching, which is more easily achieved face-to-face. Early career professionals working remotely face challenges due to reduced access to mentorship and exposure to established best practices.
As I prepare to leave this role in June, I realise that while I’ve gained valuable skills, the most precious lesson has been the power of simply being present. But how can that be communicated on a CV if everything becomes digital? Will the top skill listed on LinkedIn one day be “proficient in creating breakout rooms”?
Your boardroom might now be a laptop at home or a formal meeting with governors, but real winners will bounce back with more than just reliable Wi-Fi connections. My question to students’ unions is simple – should we be making a stronger effort to be more present than we are now?
The evidence clearly suggests we should. For our collective future and especially for those starting their careers, we need to reclaim the value of being physically present with each other. While technology provides essential tools, it’s the human connection that really builds leaders, organisations, and communities that thrive.
