Strategies for Returning to the Workplace

“Employer Strategies for Employee Integration and Returning to the Workplace”

            The work from home (WFH) workforce has dominated many industries for the last year and organizations are now preparing for a return to the office environment.  While the pandemic response to the workplace has changed the structure of operations, many businesses will be returning to a traditional office culture in the coming months.   A challenge on everyone’s mind and it’s time for a strategy!

            The last year has experienced the hiring of new employees into a business culture known only through video conferencing and phone conversations.  These employees have not worked side by side with previous in-office employees and are at a disadvantage for the social interactions to come with a return to the workplace.  Employees, both tenured and new, will be interacting in person for the first time and there will be obstacles to overcome.  Preparing for these eventualities in advance is crucial to the successful integration and retention of the existing workforce.  The implications for these new interpersonal relationships could be detrimental and distracting to daily operations.  So, let’s do it right!

            Understanding the dynamics from an employee and employer standpoint will allow organizations to strategize a successful return to the office setting.  Employers must draft a strategy for their employees for a phased return to the workplace.  The following steps are designed as points for employers and HR leaders to consider as plans are developed to return to the traditional office structure.  

Steps:

1.     Communicate the plan to return:  

-Who, when, where, why, and how it is planned.

-Include supervisors in planning and train them for the transition.

-Include IT in the planning and incorporate their concerns for first day back.

-Transparency of expectations for employees

-Provide a written plan to ease the stress of the unknown

-Offer support and assistance for transition obstacles

            This part of the plan identifies that life will be changing for everyone.  How many or which days per week will employees be expected to be at the office?  Will there be certain days, dressed in a certain manner, and perform in a manner different than the WFH setting?  Employees will need to prepare their personal schedules, childcare, pet care, commuting times, traffic patterns, and much more as they consider the daily routine will be written anew.  Employers must clearly communicate the plan and expectations for everyone involved to ensure that employees are prepared.  Employees hired on-line so to speak, will be arriving at the office for the first time and meeting co-workers in person for the first time.  This will require “first day” approaches to their arrival, akin to orientation processes even though they are existing employees.  The newness will be felt by everyone and should be addressed as the elephant in the room.  Nobody likes uncertainty and this is an opportunity to put your employees at ease and raise their confidence in YOUR leadership!

2.     Familiarization, social interaction, and meet & greet days:

-Where do I sit?  Where is my workstation/office?

-Meet your teammates face to face!

-Where is the bathroom?

-So, we finally meet!

            Employers have an obligation to recognize that many of the relationships within their workforce are known only through video conferencing.  Longer tenured employees have not seen each other in over a year.  There will be issues between people that were previously unknown due to the WFH environment.  

            New employees will need to learn where their workstation/office will be as well as amenities like the breakroom/restroom.  This is an opportunity for employees to interact and get to know each other as in-person colleagues and not distant video partners.  This could be done for an afternoon or in small groups.  A team building exercise or food event could be included.  Set up your office/desk with personal items.  The opportunities are varied but the intent is for people to meet and get to know each other off camera for a short duration in preparation for the actual return to the office date.  

3.     The first day back in the office:

-Welcome people back and have company or small team meetings.

-Engage supervision to address any concerns.

-HR/IT involvement for any issues.    

The return to the office should be relatively seamless due to the preparation steps above.  People will be excited to arrive and faces will be familiar.  However, there will be issues to address from IT and technical to HR related.  Employers should anticipate these and be prepared to attack them quickly.  The days ahead will be fraught with excitement and frustration as people adjust to their new work structure.  For instance: Does someone talk loudly on the phone all day?  Lots of personal calls?  Numerous trips to the breakroom/restroom?  Gossipy conversations or long lunch breaks? Does my co-worker have an annoying laugh, or body odor?      These and many more concerns will quickly become apparent and need to be addressed by supervisors and HR.  People have been WFH for a long time and for some this is a major adjustment to their routines.  It is human nature to have personal issues with others and while some may be fast friends on a web call, they may be quick enemies in person.  Activities unknown to supervisors will become apparent and not tolerated.  Planning and strategizing for these eventualities are absolutely necessary.

4.     Follow up support:

-What issues have you faced?

-What actions were taken?  Did they work or are they ongoing?

-Do you need further support from us?

            This is the time for employers to discuss their return to the workplace after action.  What worked and what didn’t?  This will be an ongoing activity for the first few days and possibly weeks as people adjust.  Regular contact with your teams will be important through check ins, employee engagement, and management consulting.  Ultimately, the transition should be smooth and uneventful but effective preparation will be the key to avoid basic pitfalls.  

Considerations:

            As executives and HR leaders in an organization there will be concerns that you must have on your radar.  Considerations such as which employees actually need to return to the office and/or who can continue remote working.  Or a discussion on a timeline for phasing in employees based on departments or job site location.  Each employer must determine how regulatory requirements for COVID in the office will affect their particular business as well.  Your HR team should be on top of the latest COVID protocols.  Facility safety and sanitary precautions should also be considered.  And lastly, what are the tolerances for employees who do not want to return versus your tolerance for bringing them all back to the traditional office.

            The steps above will not necessarily answer these considerations but will allow you to keep them in mind as you develop your plan of action.  This plan should be communicated clearly to all your employees to ease the stress and burden of bringing this pandemic to closure.

Conclusion:

            Working from home offered numerous challenges and opportunities for organizations across the globe.  In many ways it challenged all of us to find new and innovative ways to accomplish the myriad tasks that are needed to remain successful and keep the lights on.  If you have gotten this far in the pandemic, then congratulations for your tenacity and perseverance!  Your human capital is integral to your continued success and investing in them NOW will only make their lives better.  Creating a people first action plan that considers the employee concerns, along with the needs of the business, will reap tremendous rewards for all of your stakeholders.  Good luck and get after it!