Is Your Company Ready For A Return To The Office?
See the original post on Forbes
We’ve had a few false starts over the past two years when trying to reopen offices. But now, it’s safe to say the return to the office is happening at last. Are companies prepared?
Small organizations and well-known multinational corporations alike
want their employees to return to the office as the Covid-19 pandemic moves into the endemic stage. As the process unfolds, let’s remember that it may not always seem smooth, but it is navigable.
As
noted in my last piece, the world can’t discuss returning to normal if it doesn’t find a way to return to the office. We have to find a way to navigate the seemingly endless number of hurdles if we’re to find success.
Although the workplace is dynamic and constantly evolving, workers want a connection with their colleagues. And they can’t always build one if they’re never in the same room.
Now more than ever, considering trends like the Great Resignation coming off the pandemic, our teams need to be engaged. To reverse this trend, organizations need to make a concerted effort to engage with their teams, which can be achieved with a return to the office hybrid strategy.
Office reopenings need a plan.
Reopening the office is about more than unlocking the front door and hoping all goes well. It will require an effort to make sure there isn’t too much friction—and that begins with a plan.
To be successful in the post-pandemic world, organizations need to look to the future rather than respond to crises as they arise. When it comes to their facilities, they should engage in strategic facility planning to future-proof their workspaces. The idea is to break out of problem-solving mode and work to solve problems before they arrive.
Companies can take a proactive approach to their hybrid workplace strategy and real estate management. A small amount of planning can help minimize time lost to reacting to problems as they arise.
Are team members prepared for the new operations?
After two years, let’s keep in mind that everyone may be a bit rusty when it comes to in-person etiquette, and they must learn a new set of office protocols for the post-pandemic hybrid work model. They may need a little reinforcement, and adjusting to operations may take some time.
To ensure success, companies must communicate expectations properly. Whether it’s a formal guide for employees, a microsite or a regular email, clear and constant communication can reduce the level of confusion employees may have and quell any uneasiness they may be feeling.
Additionally, this is an excellent opportunity for companies to alert teams to any new processes introduced since they were last in the office.
A return to the office doesn’t have to mean zero protocols.
Consider that few people in the U.S. wore masks a couple of years ago. Now, they may remain a part of life—at least to some degree.
Even as the pandemic subsides, some workers may not want to give up the protocols—whether wearing masks or maintaining social distancing—that made them feel safe. Yet, I worry that one of the biggest misconceptions companies may have with an office return is that they can forego all safety protocols.
Bringing employees back into the office doesn’t mean companies and organizations should throw caution to the wind. Leaders must read the room and know what their teams are thinking so they continue to balance employee sentiment with the needs of the business.
They should also lean on technology—whether it’s deploying tools that enable hybrid work, allowing teams to book their desks in advance or enabling teams to know who’s in the office to determine the best time to collaborate. These solutions ensure their teams know their workspace is safe and that their employer has their best interests at heart.
The best plan needs a Plan B.
Even as the world advances, it’s critical to remember that the best-laid plans are often not executed as expected. As a result, companies need to make sure they remain flexible.
Hopefully, we learned that lesson over the past two years. Whether it’s implementing a hybrid model or addressing new variants that might emerge or other unexpected hurdles, companies must be prepared to shift gears as the situation on the ground changes.
It’s important to remember there
isn’t a single path all companies should follow as they return to their office. But there are some best practices, including understanding how teams view the return to the office and what they need to allay any fears.
Technology can help lead the charge and make it possible. Whether it’s automating the unlocking of doors so that workers don’t need to touch an additional surface as they enter an office or a tool that assigns a certain “neighborhood” to increase collaboration, the goal is to deliver the best possible office experience so employers can continue to deliver a good employee experience.
Companies can’t control every hurdle that arises, but we
can control how we respond to the unexpected. Even if we don’t know what we’ll face or when we’ll face it, tackling it with the right plan will be easier than approaching it with no plan at all.
