Since the market has started to move on its recovery path, companies are weighing the pros and cons of bringing employees back to the office. On one hand, they are concerned about employees’ health safety and continuing to adopt remote work policies to prevent the spread of coronavirus inside the office. On the other hand, organizations are focusing on what’s best for their business and what should be the right way to adopt a hybrid work model.
Both the situations create dense perplexity for companies in bringing their remote workforce back to the office. Companies are leveraging the idea of giving freedom, however, they are terrified with whether to give employees the authority to determine when, how and where they should work. Thus, the talent management teams are leading the remote workers back to the office that can benefit everyone.
Ensures clear communication
Even though the companies have adopted advanced digital tools to keep remote working seamless, they still thrive on establishing clear communication. During the remote work period, communication at the workplace has dynamically progressed. Technology has created new standards of communication. Returning to the office will require a strategic plan for employees.
On-site communication structures the communication protocols at the workplace. It helps employees develop a better understanding of roles than off-site communication. This will contribute to creating deep connections and culture at the workplace. Apart from this, employees communicating in offices can lead to innovative ideas that are less likely to take place on email or video conferencing.
High safety standards
According to several market surveys – employees when asked during the COVID-19 pandemic, given the choice, they’d like to continue working from home even after the crisis subdues. Employees aren’t feeling safe stepping out of home for work. To make them feel safe and comfortable, companies are implementing high safety standards in the workplace.
Companies that are concerned about their employees are implementing health screening procedures. Mandatory temperature checks and installation of touchless technologies are also minimizing the risk of transmission. Apart from this, physical distancing such as spacing between workstations and rotatory shifts are also contributing to high safety standards for employees making it safe for them to return to the office.
Comfort at workplace
Returning back to the office after a long period of flexibility can be overwhelming to employees. Companies are adopting a gradual transition approach to make it comfortable for employees. For instance – going from 100 percent remote work to 100 percent on-site office can be abrupt. The talent managers are making return-to-office plans to address remote employees’ concerns and take stringent measures to ensure their health safety.
On the other hand, employees are concerned about the fixed number of working hours every week. To address this concern, companies are allowing their staff to determine their own working hours and prioritize their mandatory meetings and in-office attendance. In addition, companies are redesigning their leave policies for employees even with mild colds to avoid infecting others at the workplace.
Deepens connections
Having employees in the office is beneficial to create deeper connections by interacting face to face. This results in establishing trust and building connections with the team. As a result, it fosters innovation and productivity that contributes to business growth and scalability. Furthermore, emphasizing team-building activities reignites bonds between the staff.
Besides this, companies are planning virtual games and activities in which employees can participate, work together and build better relationships at work. Companies are planning regular team lunches, happy hours and other activities to engage the employees in fun activities. In addition, employees returning to the office can leverage reskilling programs organized to accelerate their careers.
Working from home has its own advantageous including flexibility for employees and reduced operating costs for employers. However, working from home has many distractions. Returning to the office makes it easier to streamline communications, work and develop innovative ideas. Additionally, it is expected to make the employees stay functional and aligned with business objectives.
(Yogita Tulsiani, is MD & Co-founder, iXceed Solutions (Global Tech-Recruiter Provider).
