The 5 Unexpected Benefits of Working for a Modern Workplace

What Is a Modern Workplace?

What do you picture when I say “modern workplace”? Rows of standing desks? A fancy coffee machine? Hoverboards? Floating monitors? Okay, we do have the fancy coffee maker, but other than that, the rest is not a part of the package 🤣

Yes, our technology is great, and we keep it up to date, but that’s not what makes us “modern.” Modernity in the workplace, as I have come to learn from Bulb, should have goals that are meaningful to the mission of the business and tie everyone's role to that mission. Work is easier to get done, communication is seamless, and the everyday is enjoyable.  

I’ve been at Bulb for barely over a year and we consider ourselves a modern workplace. Before working here, I would have imagined the said scenery above. Now, even though we don’t have hoverboards, here are the five unexpected benefits I have experienced since I began working for a modern workplace.

1. Less Decision Fatigue

The part I dreaded the most in my previous jobs was the amount of energy I’d use daily to figure out something that didn’t have a set process.  

Let me give you an example:

I used to work in advertising and every month I’d have to put together a deck for our clients full of the social posts going out. Where this deck lived changed every single month. One manager thought it should be shared with everyone for easy editing purposes in SharePoint and another wanted it totally private in a folder that changed locations constantly. I spent hours just figuring out where I should put the deck when I could have been working on creating it.

To add to the issue, nothing was in collaborative communication channels. I’d be messaging coworkers and managers individually trying to relay the situation and playing messenger. Sound crazy? Yeah, because it is.

It seemed normal then, but now I realize how idiotic it was to deal with the same issues repeatedly instead of taking some time to set a process that works. At a modern workplace, there tends to be more processes and procedures for things we repeat. And if there's not, I know how to get one. I don’t feel weighed down by repeating decisions and have more energy for the work that matters.

2. Zero Guilt Work Life Balance

If you hate the term “work-life balance” because you’ve never experienced it, I completely empathize with where you’re at.  

Work life balance never really existed in my former positions. I would have to wait to make dinner plans with friends because often I’d need to work late, weigh out my sick days (“I can work...I’m not that sick. I should save these days for when I’m actually sick” type thinking.) and couldn’t even go to the gym in the mornings because someone would be calling me at 6:30 AM.  

I’m lucky to say I don’t experience that anymore. The reason? Modern workplaces see you as human! They also see you as an adult that will get the work done and know where work sits in your life. Say goodbye to micromanagement 👋 This is such a massive benefit. Yes, for my time, but for my sanity mostly.  

I’ve also realized this is less about the amount of work I have on my plate, rather about the tone set by leadership. Mitch has never called me frantically at 6 AM so I know he probably won’t. And if he did, it wouldn’t be a normal occurrence and/or would be a genuine emergency.  

Mitch if you’re reading this and call me at 6 AM, ever, you better be in a dire situation.

3. I'm a Lot More Ambitious

Before I worked for a modern workplace, presenting new ideas was like volunteering to be mocked. There never seemed to be enough time for new ideas and say someone liked your idea, nothing would ever be done about it. It would just collect dust, be discussed every other quarter, and then pushed aside.  

Since working at Bulb, I’ve become a lot more ambitious with sharing my ideas. From day one, they made it clear to me that they have processes in place, however, are always open to improving the ways they do something. They will make the time to reevaluate and update processes.

Disclaimer: just because I have a new idea, doesn’t mean it’s a good one or that it pans out. Sharing ideas or thoughts about something is just a lot easier than it used to be. I can also tell the people I work with care about my ideas. That’s what really makes the difference.

4. I Make More Mistakes

Doesn’t seem like a benefit, but I swear it is, just stay with me 😅

Some mistakes are terrible, feel like the end of the world, and just stink. Like HBO’s intern who emailed 44 million subscribers accidentally when it was only supposed to go to the staff...

What I discovered, like HBO’s intern, people have my back at a modern workplace when I make mistakes. I sent my first newsletter here with all incorrect links to 700 people. Instead of being chewed out or not letting me write another email, my boss simply said “Oh shoot. There are wrong links. Can you send out an updated email?” Phew!

Don’t get me wrong, I obviously try to not make mistakes, but if you try too hard or don’t take risks, your work never improves. I used to feel stagnant in my previous workplaces because I was petrified to make a mistake. I just stayed in my lane and did what I knew how to do.  

5. No More Sunday Scaries

You know why I couldn’t wait to graduate college? Because I never wanted to experience the soul sucking feeling of the Sunday scaries again.  

Spoiler alert: they follow you into the corporate world! 🤢

Dreading the end of the weekend because you’re already dreading Monday should not be a regular occurrence. Luckily, I left those behind since I started working for a modern workplace.  

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t cheer for joy when I wake up on Monday or when Sunday night rolls around. Work is still work and I do get stressed. Where the difference lies is what I’m stressing about. I used to stress about my petulant coworker who I knew would throw me under the bus for something. Or I'd be thinking about the fires I’d be putting out first thing in the morning. It wasn’t ever about the actual work, but the drama surrounding it.  

Modern workplaces banish that drama from the source and set the tone for how people should behave. Another thing Bulb does that really banishes the Sunday scaries is moving our normal 9 AM standup to 10 AM on Mondays. Having that allowance to begin your week slowly is so comforting.

My Final Thoughts

There’s a lot I thought a modern workplace would bring me: a new phone, a fancy standing desk, a fancy coffee vending machine. I’m thankful I was wrong.

Instead, a modern workplace brought peace, reliability, and the opportunity to feel like a human being in the workplace.

If you're considering making your workplace more modern, I hope you realize what that entails after reading this blog. If you’re looking for another job and the places you’re applying to say they are modern, look for these five benefits and I wish you luck 😄 I hope you find these things and more in your workplace!  

My final reminder: it is not normal to hate your job. There are fantastic places to work out there, you just might need to know what to look for.