Moments that matter in the ever-changing role of the office.

Welcome to Success Sprints, your weekly companion for practical career strategies and tips to help you thrive – minus the overwhelm!

In this newsletter, we explore the pivotal role of in-person interactions in the evolving office landscape, emphasizing their impact on new hires during onboarding. Insights from a Microsoft article highlight positive outcomes, such as increased feedback requests and stronger relationships, resulting from early face-to-face meetings. Additionally, the newsletter underscores the benefits of stretching in-person training sessions, emphasizing the value of close guidance and immediate feedback. It acknowledges the unique energy derived from working in the same physical space, especially for early-career employees. The conclusion acknowledges the lasting trend of flexible workstyles, urging intentional consideration to achieve a balance between remote and in-person work. Teams are encouraged to assess unique needs and moments requiring physical presence while considering practical factors like travel and expenses. This concise summary sets the stage for a newsletter exploring workplace dynamics and the ongoing shift toward flexible work arrangements.

My observation reveals that starting a new role in any organization or undergoing an internal switch—meeting your manager or onboarding buddy in person makes a huge difference. In contrast to workers who did not have in-person meetings with their managers during the first ninety days, those who did had higher rates of feedback requests, team requests for input, strong relationships with coworkers, manager support when discussing difficult issues, and constructive coaching and feedback. (However, there are no variations in the way these recruits feel about other survey results, such as making an impact, obtaining the help they require, feeling supported by their peers and included, becoming familiar with stakeholders, and learning about the culture.)

Meeting your onboarding "buddy"—a teammate assigned to support your transition to the new team or help you know more about the organization—in person within 90 days makes a major distinction. Those who did were more likely to seek feedback, feel included, feel trusted by their team, and report they had clarity about how to drive impact—and have the necessary tools to do so. (But meeting their onboarding buddy in person did not meaningfully affect new hires’ scores in other areas, such as finding the support they need, understanding their organization’s vision, or knowing their stakeholders.)

The conclusion drawn from this is that the quicker new hires develop trust with their managers and teammates, the sooner they can become productive contributors and collaborators with the team and the company. Therefore, it is always said to make sure the onboarding team provides all the materials that a new joiner needs, as that will not only benefit him/her but also the organization.

Stretching in-person training sessions also helps new hires understand their tasks and priorities with less friction. In-person training allows associates to receive close guidance and immediate feedback, with easy access to assistance, clarification, and tacit knowledge. Trainers can deliver at their maximum capacity much more quickly, enabling associates to become more intrinsically motivated and energized. Another observation was that early-in-career employees felt slightly more energized when they worked regularly in the same building with their team members.

In-person time also enables employees to observe company norms and team dynamics—subtleties that are challenging to pick up virtually and can be particularly crucial for early-in-career employees. Once the onboarding process is complete, in-person one-on-one meetings may not be mission-critical. The good news is that distributed teams allow individuals to experience diverse personalities within their proximity. It's a delicate balance: Initiating an early meeting with one's manager is a pivotal moment with noteworthy outcomes, yet as time progresses, regular in-person interactions may not be essential.

Key Takeaways:

While flexible work, encompassing options like work from home or a hybrid working style, varies across organizations, it's evident that it is a lasting trend. As organizations adopt this transformative model, they unlock the potential to increase productivity, elevate employee satisfaction, and foster a more inclusive workforce. Remote work presents its benefits, and so does in-person collaboration. Although every team is unique, one aspect remains clear: achieving this balance requires intentional.

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-Crafted by Tanvi Mutalik!!