Going Back to The Office
Are you trying to end your remote working policy and get all your staff back to the office?
Perhaps your people already work in the office some of the time, but you'd like to increase that.
Whatever your situation, you're looking to get your staff back to the office.
However, policy updates, staff communiques, and everything else you have tried hasn’t worked. Staff are resisting your efforts, and you don't know what to do.
As many companies have shown, issuing a return-to-the-office mandate is ineffective. It also causes serious backlash. You need to attract, not force, your people back to the office.
"But how am I supposed to do that?" you ask.
Well, in this article, we'll walk you through 4 key pillars of getting your staff back to the office. Over the last 3 years, this has been one of the most common reasons companies come to us. By the end of this article, you'll know how you can attract your staff back to your office successfully.
Want to know more about how to get your staff back in the office? Download your copy of 10 Steps to Return to The Office. Inside, we'll walk you through the process we use to help our clients get their staff back to the office. Download your copy here.
Consider Your Working Model
To help you get your staff back to the office, you could implement a hybrid working model. There are many different variations of hybrid working, but the core principle is the same - staff spend some time working from home, and some time working from the office.
There are 3 common variants of hybrid working: 3-2, Office Hours, and Core Days. 3-2 is when your staff work 3 days in the office and 2 days from home, but they can choose when. With the office hours, staff have to work a set amount of hours in the office each week (or month), but they can choose when. With the core days model, staff have to be in the office on set days, but can work from home or the office otherwise.
With hybrid working, you get most of the benefits of both remote and in-office working. While staff get the autonomy and convenience of working from home part-time, they also get plenty of time with their colleagues in person. If your staff are reluctant to return to the office, hybrid working could be very beneficial for you, either temporarily or permanently. To learn more, read Office v Remote v Hybrid Working: Which is Best?
Communicate the Why
Once you have decided on your working model, you have to plan the transition, communicate it to your people, and then implement it. Communication is essential, as poor communication can derail the best plan. This could create a lot of opposition among your staff, which would be very damaging to your company's performance.
When communicating the change to your people, you have to go further than just explaining the “what”. First, you must explain the “why”. If you can demonstrate to your people the business case for your decision and that you have listened to their viewpoint, you will encounter much less resistance. Communicating in this way will increase the trust of your people. They will be more understanding of the change, even if it is not their preferred option. To learn more, read 6 Steps to Successful Change Management in Office Fit Out.
Focus on Culture
73% of workers say they need a better reason than company expectations to return to the office. To attract your staff back to the office, you have to make it worth their while. The key to this is their colleagues. According to the Harvard Business Review, 85% of employees would be motivated to go into the office to rebuild team bonds. 84% of employees would be motivated to go into the office if they could socialize with coworkers.
As a result, your office and working model have to emphasise connection and collaboration when in the office. If you expect staff to work at a desk all day in the office because you want them to, you will encounter a lot of backlash. Collaboration and connection are both essential for productivity. Top performers spend 45% of their time collaborating. Positive social connections at work improve wellbeing and reduce stress. To learn how to apply this in your office, read 3 Ways to Improve Company Culture with Office Refurbishment.
Improve Your Workspace
Another crucial part of making your staff come back to the office is the office itself. If all your office has to offer is long rows of desks and soulless boardrooms, staff will not see any point in coming to the office. If staff want to come back to the office, your office design needs to make it worth the inconvenience of their commute.
This is especially true if you’re operating a hybrid working model. Many staff find home working more productive for focussed tasks, due to the lack of distractions. However, remote teamwork can be awkward or difficult, so it is much better done in your office. This means your office needs to include plenty of collaboration space.
Your office should also be an environment your people love and one that embodies your brand. When your people are immersed in this sort of environment, they will produce work that is much more in line with your culture. To learn more, read How to Create an Office Worth the Commute.
Getting Your Staff Back to the Office
If you want to get your people back in the office, you'll have to attract, rather than force them. Attracting your staff back to the office first requires careful consideration as to when and why they need to come back to the office at all. You then need to communicate clearly and transparently about what will be changing and why. You should also listen to and consider the viewpoints of your staff. To really make your transition back to the office work though, you have to make your staff want to come back. The best ways to do this are by focussing on team connections and providing a workspace experience that they just can’t get at home.
To take the next step in getting your people back to the office, download your copy of 10 Steps to Return to The Office. Inside, we'll walk you through the process we use to help our clients get their staff back to the office. This will cover everything, from deciding if you should return and why, all the way through the different stages of planning and implementation. Download your copy here.
To learn more about attracting your staff back to the office through your workspace design, read How to Create a Workspace Worth the Commute. You'll learn how to assess your workspace to see if it is worth the commute for your staff. If it's not, you'll know what you need to do about it.
