The way we work has changed dramatically since COVID-19 arrived two years ago. Businesses around the world spent 2020 thinking about how to get their organization to work from home, while 2021 was all about preparing for the unexpected. And, as we continue to live in one of the most difficult periods in history, we can only expect 2022 to be in flux. Businesses will need to maintain flexibility in how they reshape the future of work as the risks posed by COVID-19 evolve.
As return to office becomes a reality for many businesses today, leaders are faced with a variety of considerations. How do you maintain a productive and healthy workforce? How do you support your employees who may not feel comfortable returning to an office setting? And how do you invest in the technology needed to make the return to office safe and seamless? In this blog, we will discuss 4 key considerations around return to office plans that business leaders should keep in mind and how investing in technology can help.
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4 Key Considerations Around Return to Office Plans
Returning to the office can be stressful, especially after employees have been gone for an extended period of time. It is critical as a leader that you participate as much as possible in the process to ensure the success of your organization's return to office.
Here are 4 key considerations to keep in mind:
1. Work is becoming more than where we just “get work done” 💼
Since most of us are working from home and do not have a commute to turn our thoughts off, it is noticeable that work can interfere with our personal space. It is important to think about how you can create a workspace that prioritizes community and is intentional about connecting people, teams, and your entire organization.
Are you able to leverage technology like Microsoft Teams to establish a space for employees to collaborate and work together in a functional capacity? Are you able to use communication tools such as Workplace from Meta that can bring your company together as a community and help you unite on the culture you want to foster?
🤔 Ask yourself: Does our Return to Office plan take this into consideration?
2. Adopt a “social by design” mentality 💬
When return to office plans are being made, leaders must consider how they can support employees who might not feel comfortable returning. Adopting a social by design mentality entails considering the various ways people want to work and be supported.
Perhaps there have been new employees that joined the company who have not met anyone in-person. Imagine how difficult it is for them to form meaningful relationships with their colleagues when they are not physically in the same space.
How can you facilitate social interactions virtually and in-person? Can you host regular virtual coffee chats? What about setting up an in-person lunch schedule where people can sign up to eat with someone they do not know well? Can you invest in tools that help your company build intentional, meaningful relationships? There are several ways that you can support employees in return to office plans, it is just a matter of being intentional about it.
🤔 Ask yourself: How does our Return to Office plan address the human connection?
3. Create a work environment that allows and empowers people to have an impact from anywhere 🏢
When you have individuals who work remotely and those who work in the office, there must be a level playing field. How can you create an environment where employees who are not in the office have a voice, can be seen and heard, and have access to all the information they need to execute their jobs?
Investing in rich meeting technologies, such as surface smart hubs or other smart room systems, can allow for a richer sense of collaboration even when everyone is not physically present. Employees can participate just as fully as if they were physically present when using systems that allow them to join meetings from their own devices.
🤔 Ask yourself: Does our Return to Office plan take this into consideration?
4. Make mental health and wellbeing of all employees and team members a priority 🧠
It is a big change for some employees who are asked to come back into the office after working from home in a safe space for two years. We are all habitual beings. We have worked hard to develop new habits/patterns and breaking them would be difficult. It will cause stress, anxiety, frustration, and possibly even anger. Leaders must create an environment in which everyone has the ability or a platform to discuss mental health and wellness without feeling alone.
In addition to leveraging HR experts and the already established processes, using technology communication tools can create a safe community for employees to have these conversations in a transparent manner.
🤔 Ask yourself: Does our Return to Office plan address employee mental health & wellness?
To learn more from our CTO, watch the video below:
Make Return to Officer Safer with Technology!
Technology should not be an afterthought when making plans to return to the office. Returning to the office will be impossible without a strategic plan that includes the appropriate technological investments.
Invest in technology that:
👥 Starts with community first and is intentional around connecting people, teams, and your organization.
📍 Helps create intentional, meaningful relationships, especially when employees are not physically in the same space.
🤝 Facilitates a richer sense of collaboration when everyone is not physically present.
🫶 Creates an environment where people have a place to have conversations around mental health and wellness.
These intentional decisions as it relates to technology might help in asking and answering questions related to your return to office strategy. Need some guidance with investing in the right technologies for your return to office plans? We can help! We designed our Technology Roadmap Lite specifically for CEOs (Chief Executive Officer) and C-suite executives to assist them in brainstorming the various elements of a Technology Strategy Framework.
Learn more and contact us today to book your own Technology Roadmap Lite!
