August 28th, 2021
6 Tips to Help Your Team Transition Back to the Office
Early last year, the pandemic redefined the world of work—forcing man y companies worldwide to shut down their offices and work remotely. At that time, this sudden shift to work from home was difficult for many.
Fast forward to the present day, and you’ll find most organizations looking to return to in-person work, have to plan for transition, a process that calls for acclimation. With proper planning, being back in the office can be a smooth transition for your team.
Let’s explore several tips to help your employees feel safe and comfortable about returning to the office.
Back in the Office: Why In-person Work Is Important
A survey on over 500 employees from different companies discovered that some of the reasons remote staff missed being back in the office included:
- Face to face office conversations
- The routine and structure that office work provided
- Work lunches and happy hours
- Fewer interruptions
Even though technology has made remote work more manageable, it has also led to poor work-life balance. For employers, the plan to return to work makes business sense. On-site work promotes collaboration and trust among team members. As a result, it boosts productivity.
How to Prepare Your Remote Team for an Office Return
1. Create an effective communication strategy
Robust internal communications are essential for the success of a business. It promotes engagement, improves organizational culture, and gives the organization a competitive edge. Your staff will only feel comfortable returning to work if you’ve communicated expectations.
Currently, your employees’ main concern is their safety upon heading back to the office. Therefore, it’s essential to let your team know about safety initiatives like hygiene requirements, social distancing guidelines, and personal protective equipment expectations.
Be transparent and, if possible, share any plans even if they are still in the planning stage. Doing this will create trust. We recommend using the proper communication channels such as emails, designated work applications, and team meetings. Lastly, we recommend seeking employee feedback using surveys or through their team leaders.
2. Encourage flexibility
As an employer, there’s need to acknowledge your employees’ life demands. Keep in mind every employee has different needs. Younger staff will likely thrive in collaborative and in-person work environments.
Those with families will prefer a hybrid work policy. Therefore, you must acknowledge these varied needs and identify a work arrangement that will be fair for all.
3. Adopt the right technology
As a company, you will need to update your technology to support your teams in meeting their goals. For instance, you may introduce access control systems. Additionally, turning your office into a smart building will allow contactless communication, further promoting the safety of your employees. For example, adopting occupancy sensors will inform the maintenance team which workspaces are engaged and those that need cleaning.
4. Make mental health a priority
Many employees shy away from discussing mental health for fear of stigma. It’s therefore upon you as an employer or team leader to initiate discussions surrounding mental health. As mentioned earlier, flexibility is critical.
Employers must start rethinking their workplace and allowing those with dependents to choose whether to work remotely or adopt a hybrid work routine. Such a strategy can positively impact your staff’s mental well-being.
Likewise, it would help to introduce employee benefits for mental health services. Besides these health plans, you could include additional resources like self-assessment tools, low-cost or free screenings, counseling, and wellness seminars.
Accountability is again crucial for such initiatives. We, therefore, recommend tracking progress and using that data to update your programs.
5. Initiate a reporting channel between the HR departments and employees
One way to encourage employees to return to the office is by making them feel heard. Creating an intranet will create an opportunity for employees to raise issues with the human resources department. It would be best to address these concerns before asking employees to go back to the office.
6. Celebrate your team’s success
Despite the challenges your employees faced when transitioning to remote work last year, your team adapted. For this reason, it would be a good idea to recognize their success and appreciate them through rewards like vouchers, discounts, and bonuses. Showing recognition not only demonstrates you value your staff but also improves morale and retention.
Let PrideStaff Help You Achieve a Smooth Transition
While the future of work beyond the pandemic is uncertain, one thing that will undoubtedly change is your company’s staffing needs. For this reason, working with a Fort Lauderdale employment agency is essential in ensuring your team transitions smoothly.
Pridestaff is an employment agency in Fort Lauderdale that offers call center, administrative and clerical staffing solutions. We would love nothing more than to help your company grow by finding the best candidates to fill your open job positions. Reach out to us at 754.800.2850 to learn how we can help you streamline your hiring process.