Ciao Büro: Work like KUNe

The KUNe working day has always taken place in the home office. Virtual coffee breaks, self-discipline and flexible working hours are part of our daily work. We report on how we are doing with this way of working and what advantages and disadvantages it brings.

Directly to the field report

2020: The sudden “retreat” to the home office

In 2020, all of our lives changed significantly. The coronavirus pandemic shook not only our private lives but also our professional lives. Short-time working, working from home, company closures, sold-out headsets – a time that has brought about lasting changes to this day. One of these changes is working from home, which has become established in many companies (not always entirely voluntarily). For many employees, this initial pandemic-related exception has become the preferred working model. According to studies and surveys, most people want at least a hybrid working model with 2 to 3 home office days per week.

The consulting firm teamgnesda recently confirmed this in its Office Report 2022, in which around 65,000 employees were surveyed: “Working from home is here to stay.”

KUNe: Living flexibility from the start

At KUNe, this “new” working model has been actively practiced since the company was founded. A working model that requires trust, discipline and good WLAN.

You can read more about what motivated KUNe founder Erwin Kunst to adopt this independent corporate style in our article “He sells washbasins”.

Working from home has many advantages, but also disadvantages. Taking a short coffee break with colleagues? This is only possible virtually when working remotely. Productive, concentrated work, on the other hand, usually works better within your own four walls.

86% of respondents in the teamgnesda Office Report 2022 believe that productivity can be increased through remote work.

We have summarized some of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home at a glance:

Whether you ultimately feel comfortable working from home depends on various factors. For example, if you are not good at organizing yourself, you will quickly reach your limits when working remotely. It depends very much on your own type of work whether this model is actually right for you. This should also be taken into account when choosing a job, as the supposed advantages of working from home can otherwise quickly become a pain.

A working paper from the University of Konstanz, which surveyed 700 people, revealed that employees define “extra work, exhaustion and social isolation” as negative side effects of flexible working. On the other hand, “work-life balance, efficiency and productivity” were highlighted as positive aspects.

The team(s) factor

Autonomy is an important element for the new generation of employees when choosing their dream job. However, the team factor should not be underestimated. At KUNe, the team is a very important factor despite the geographical distance (Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria).

“We value regular face-to-face meetings and rely on team calls with direct colleagues in our day-to-day work,” explains KUNe founder Erwin Kunst.

Flexible into the future

KUNe continues to look to the future with flexibility. The pandemic and a war in Europe have shown that we have to adapt to new challenges on a daily basis. However, the advantages and disadvantages of the flexible working model must be kept in mind and addressed, as this is the only way to make the dream of flexibility a reality.

The KUNe summer experience report – Home office in a motorhome? A self-experiment

KUNe business partner and family man Manuel Steinhuber recently moved his office into his motorhome. On the way to his vacation, he tested how “working on the road” really works. Does flexible working also work with a family in tow, and what should you bear in mind when working on the road?