Increasing Office Attendance
Just when the debate around remote working seemed to be settling down, Amazon's recent return-to-office (RTO) mandate has shifted the issue back into the spotlight. It has caused many CEOs of remote and hybrid companies to consider whether they, too, could get their staff back in the office full time. A recent KPMG survey found that 64% of CEOs around the world think everyone will be back in the office by 2026.
The debate over whether employees should return to the office has become one of the most polarising topics in recent years. On one hand, many workers have found remote work to be more convenient, with benefits like better work-life balance and avoiding the daily commute. On the other hand, CEOs are grappling with concerns about collaboration, culture, and productivity.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably keen to get your people back to the office. However, you're wary of the tension and disruption an RTO mandate could cause. As a workplace strategy, design & build company, we’ve helped many companies create and implement RTO plans over the last 3 years.
In this article, we’ll break down why this whole issue is so controversial, and why employees and executives have such different viewpoints. We’ll then go through how you, as an executive, can successfully create and navigate a return to the office plan. By the end, you’ll understand the conflicting forces at work, and how to navigate them within your own company.
Why Is Returning to the Office So Controversial?
Nearly 5 years after the pandemic, the controversy around remote work is as strong as ever. Why is this? The answer lies in differing priorities for executives and staff (and a lot of media hyperbole).
The Rise of Remote Work
Over the last 5 years, 3 in 4 businesses have adopted some form of remote or hybrid work. While this was initially from necessity, it proved surprisingly popular. Employees have cited increased flexibility and better work-life balance as major benefits. Over time, staff have come to expect workplace flexibility, and are resistant to losing these advantages.
Productivity Debate
Despite countless studies over many years, the jury is out on remote work performance. 70% of employers claim that remote work has increased productivity. However, communication falls by 20% when staff work remotely. 54% of CEOs report concerns about weakened team collaboration and declining innovation in a fully remote setup.
Corporate Culture
44% of employees feel that remote work has allowed them to focus more on tasks rather than office politics and distractions. However, over half of executives believe that remote working dilutes company culture. Remote working has also reduced non-work social interactions between colleagues.
The Staff-Executive Disconnect
Faced with these complex long-term challenges, almost all CEOs are very keen to get their staff back to the office. However, staff are more concerned about personal job satisfaction and performance. Remote work enables them to spend more time on tasks, making remote feel more productive on a personal level, despite the longer-term issues.
Employee Pushback on Commuting
One of the biggest issues of office working for staff is the commute. 60% of employees say that eliminating the daily commute has improved their mwell-being. Working in the office full time brings back the long, unpleasant and expensive commute – especially for staff working in large cities like London.
Work-Life Balance
Over 80% of employees say that remote work gives them better control over their work-life balance. Working remotely not only saves the time of the commute, it gives them more autonomy over how and when they work. The fear of losing this autonomy is one of the biggest drivers of resistance to returning to the office.
5 Steps to Return to the Office
So, in the face of this complex and controversial situation, how can you successfully return to the office? It may be tempting to simply announce a full-time in-office policy. However, this would cause a lot of backlash, which could lead to mass resignations as well as lower job satisfaction and performance.
Successfully returning to the office requires compromise, communication and incentivisation. Here, we’ll go through 5 key considerations to make your return to the office much smoother and more successful.
Offer Flexibility with Hybrid Models
An abrupt and complete return to the office can feel like a huge (and unwelcome) change for employees who have enjoyed remote work. By offering some form of hybrid working, you can allow your staff some flexibility, whilst still getting most of the benefits of in-office work.
There are many different hybrid working structures, from the 3-2 model to core office hours. Which is best for you will depend on your company, culture, and staff base. Regardless of which model you choose, it’s essential to create clear expectations, but balance that by giving staff some autonomy.
Redesign the Office for Collaboration
For employees to embrace the return to the office, the office must offer something they can’t get at home. Otherwise, they won’t see the value in the office, and they won’t be engaged with the process. Dynamic spaces for teamwork and creativity are crucial, to maximise the impact of in-person time within your teams.
As the place where you want your team to spend so much time, it’s crucial that your office maximises their collaboration and productivity. You may want to look at refurbishing your office to increase the amount of collaboration and interaction spaces.
Focus of Staff Wellbeing
Mental health and wellbeing is now a top priority for employees. Furthermore, they think their employer should play a part: 90% state that they expect their company to support their well-being. If your return to the office is to be a success, it needs to feel like a boost, not a burden.
There are many different ways you can improve your staff's wellbeing through office design. This ranges from adding desk plants to reconfiguring your entire workspace to optimise natural light. Learn more about office design and wellbeing by reading this article.
Communicate Transparently
Implementing a return to the office policy will be a big change for your staff, and probably an unwelcome one. Without clear and open communication, you could encounter distrust and resentment from employees. By communicating well, you can mitigate this risk. Studies show that companies with high transparency experience 30% higher employee engagement.
It's crucial that you don’t surprise your employees, or allow rumours to fester. By communicating in plenty of time, as well as explaining the reasons behind the change, your staff will be much more understanding and supportive.
Incentivise the Return
While there may be many valid business reasons for you to enforce a return to the office policy, it may still be unwelcome for your people. To soften the change, you could look at various incentives or benefits to attract staff back to the office.
The best incentives impact your people every day and create shared experiences. While a one-off event or monetary incentive may seem attractive, it is soon forgotten. Introducing amenities such as improved breakout spaces or a gym can make the office more attractive for your people.
Getting Your Staff Back to Your Office
Getting your staff back to your office doesn’t have to be a fractious, uphill battle. Indeed, you can’t afford it to be. By taking the time to understand and compensate for the reasons behind your team’s resistance, you can attract your people back to the office.
Implementing hybrid models, refurbishing your workspace for collaboration, prioritizing well-being, communicating transparently, and offering incentives will enable you to get your staff back to your office with minimum disruption and maximum impact. As a result, you’ll access the benefits of in-office working, without the distrust and disruption.
To take the next step toward getting your staff back into the office, download your own 10 Steps to Return to The Office Guide. We'll walk you through the process we use to help our clients get their staff back the 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. Get your Return to the Office Guide here.
To learn more about increasing office attendance, read How to Create a Workspace Worth the Commute and How to Get Your People Back to The Office Without Harming Talent Attraction & Retention.
