5 Ways to Get Employees Back to the Office
Dan Schawbel
LinkedIn Top Voice, New York Times Bestselling Author, Managing Partner of Workplace Intelligence, Led 80+ Workplace Research Studies
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If you pay any attention to workplace news and trends, you’re probably aware that some companies are reversing their stance on remote working and requiring employees to return to the office. You’re probably also aware that employees are largely opposed to this, and many feel their employers haven’t provided a good reason for the return-to-office mandate.
The widespread resistance from employees has generally translated into poor office attendance, especially at companies with flexible policies. But it’s clear some organizations are getting frustrated with this, and that’s why we’re seeing story after story about companies who are resorting to more desperate measures to entice (or force) workers back to the office.
Salesforce, for example, is donating $10 per day to charity for each day an employee goes into the office. Other companies are dangling free food and live concerts to incentivize workers, while some are resorting to more “normal” tactics such as increasing commuter benefits or relaxing their dress code.
A few companies are taking things a step further by putting consequences in place for workers who don’t comply. Last month, Google announced that it will begin using in-person attendance as part of employees’ performance reviews. Similarly, CitiGroup’s managers have been told to consider compliance with office attendance policies when rating employees’ performance and crafting pay packages.
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Overall, these tactics have been hit-or-miss, and for good reason. Employees really don’t want to commute into work just to sit at a desk and accomplish the same tasks they could do more?comfortably at home. Many would be greatly inconvenienced by having to go into the office full-time, and some might not even be local to their corporate offices anymore. In fact, it’s estimated that around 5 million people relocated because of remote work.?
Workers are so desperate to avoid the office that nearly 1 out of 3 would be willing to take a pay cut to work remotely full-time. What’s more, nearly 7 in 10 (68%) would rather look for a new job than return to the office. At a few companies, including Amazon , Farmers Group , and Walt Disney , employees are so fed-up that they’re signing petitions and staging protests.
No matter how you feel about the return-to-office push, these statistics and examples highlight that most companies simply aren’t getting this right. In my opinion (and many other experts’ opinions), there has to be a better way to go about this. That’s why in today’s article, I’ll discuss 5 ways to get your employees to spend more time in the office.
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aCAP | Business Engineer at Zero Down Supply Chain Solutions
1 年If employees are willing to take a pay cut to continue to WFH, the only motivation for employers to force back to the office is you don't trust your staff and want to exercise more control over them. WFH offers companies less overhead, larger talent pool, happier employees, and (apparently) lower payroll. If you don't trust your employees to work without a middle manager breathing down their neck, you hired the wrong employees.
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist???| Podcast Host ???Let’s Chirp | 7x Skydiver ??| Career Journey Consultant ????♂?|916-956-4126
1 年Dan Schawbel the tactic that Salesforce is using is GENIUS. If my employer did this, I know I would have my $10 bucks go to charity: water. I know that I would actually show up on some regular cadence because I believe CW's mission is not just changing lives, but saving lives. On the other hand, for companies who are penalizing employee's, I might be part of the group that starts looking for work. Right now I'm in a spot where my current employer is not rewarding or disciplining showing up to the office, so I stay home! Why? I'm the only person in my department here in Austin, TX so I don't have any direct co workers to collaborate with. 2) My dog has separation anxiety and as I type he's snoring next to me peacefully and this would not be the case if I left him and C - I have access to everything in my kitchen exactly when I want it. Side note - I read your book "Back to Human" after your guest appearance on Lewis Howes show. It was amazing! If you're ever in Austin and wanted to make a guest appearance on David's Saturday Night Sit Back I'd love to have you on and chirp about what's on your mind in 2023 and beyond.
Employment Partner at Herrington Carmichael LLP
1 年thanks for sharing Dan Schawbel - pressure to return to the office is also something that we are seeing in the UK and I thought that your suggestions would apply equally over here. I was particularly interested in your comment on making socialization intentional - something that I think employers need to work hard on to avoid looking like they are just requiring employees to come back in to the office for the sake of it.
Vice President, Research Services & Strategy at GWL Realty Advisors
1 年Great summary of the issues and research. You hit on one topic I'm rarely seeing in the discussion about Return to Office--the value of having an assigned workspace. In the survey you referenced, 34% would be incentivized to return to the office if they had their own desk. The trend toward hot-desking was ramping up pre-pandemic, and has continued with large firms looking to reduce their office footprint. As your article hints at, having an assigned space serves multiple purposes. 1. Helps create a sense of belonging to the company (you're a person with particular ergonomic and technology needs, not a one-size-fits-all cog in a machine). 2. Helps with collaboration and productivity as you can find your colleagues/team mates easily. 3. Allows for individuals to have the right set up for their roles (dual monitors? sit-stand desk? the right ergonomic chair adjusted for their body size and type, etc.) For companies asking employees to be in 3+ days per week, but making them book a desk for those days--it's added friction and stress to coming in. It also reduces productivity as people are spending working hours trying to secure the right desks near their teams.
Success Coach | Inclusion & Innovation Facilitator | Leadership & Growth Catalyst
1 年I haven't read your 5 suggestions yet but will soon. I'm glad you are keeping this conversation on the radar as it is a big pain point and from my view the folks suffering the most are working mothers which breaks my heart. I've worked remote for over 10 years and my children are all grown so this doesn't personally impact me. However, I have great empathy and I hope we can design some much needed good solutions - sooner rather than later.