As we slowly take control over the new normal, people have begun going back to how life used to be pre-pandemic. This includes going back to on-site work set-ups.
However, your employees may be reluctant to return now that they’ve gotten comfy with working from home. If you’re at a loss for what to do, you’re in luck!
We present you with five ways to get your employees on board to return to the office!
1. Make going back to the office purposeful
Now that everyone’s comfortable with their own work-from-home arrangements, it’s going to take a lot to get them on board to return to the office.
The first thing you’ll have to make sure of is that they’re going for a purposeful reason. This means that you should avoid summoning them for things that could have been addressed over email.
Employees will have to add to their work-related expenses now, too. That’ll include travel expenses, food, and whatnot.
Hence, make each day that they’re in the office a productive and well-spent day. This way, they won’t feel as if their resources have been wasted on a day that could have been spent at their home office instead.
2. Tweak the rules a bit
Now that everyone’s gotten a taste of the work from home life, there’s no going back from that.
So to make the transition to office life more manageable, try to tweak the rules a bit so that they aren’t as rigid as that of pre-pandemic times.
We don’t mean to chuck all the rules out the window but to make them more tolerable.
For example, instead of imposing strict dress codes, you can opt for more laid-back attire that’s still work-appropriate, of course.
Another alternative could be shortening office hours or even offering a hybrid model, too. Let them slowly ease into it by letting them come in thrice a week and then gradually progress.
In essence, avoid making them feel like going to the office is a troublesome chore.
3. Offer proper support
Returning to the office also comes with safety concerns whether it be physical, social, mental, or even financial. Hence, the proper support is needed to ensure that your employees can perform well and enjoy being a part of your company.
Since everything leading up to that point was done online, employees may feel awkward or even estranged. Employees will now need to rebuild their connections in person.
To address this, you can host communal lunch breaks or even bi-weekly team-building events.
Understandably, many will feel anxious and unsettled. Your company may want to establish partnerships with clinics that have life coaches, therapists, and psychologists so that your employees can get the support and counseling that they need.
4. Make the office comfy
To make going back to the office more appealing, you’ll want it to be more attractive. Consider upgrading the furniture, amenities, and other perks that come with the office.
This could be through upgrading their office chairs to ones that are more comfortable and fun. You can also improve their desks and overall workspaces, too.
To make their jobs a bit easier, why not invest in software to make work efficient? While you’re at it, why not upgrade your internet speed and acquire VPN, too?
You may also want to consider having lunches on-site so that they won’t have to spend money on food or pack their own.
5. Listen to your employees
During these trying times, you’ll want to continue with as much compassion as possible. At the end of the day, both you and your employees are doing their best to get through the day.
To learn more about how to make the transition lighter for them, you can conduct a survey to be able to gather a collective pulse of how they feel about returning to on-site work.
Though not all may share the same sentiments, you’ll still have a rough idea of where to begin showing your support and care.
With proper and compassionate planning, you’ll have your employees feeling good about returning to the office in no time!
There you have it, folks—our list of five ways to get your employees on board to return to the office. With this guide, you’ll have them skipping to the office in no time!
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