Transitioning Back from Remote Work

There is a light growing brighter at the end of the tunnel. Businesses are getting things back to a sense of “normal”, which will look different than it did before COVID-19. As we navigate the tunnel and get closer to the light, we need to prepare for what is next after remote work. How do we instill trust and confidence in our people and customers that they will be safe? What will the office / workspace look like? Will we need to adjust and create opportunities for employees who wish to work remote and flexible schedules, or those who want more autonomy?

Any way we look at what’s next, it is certain business as we knew it will look and feel different. Businesses will be forced to change and innovate in order to recruit and retain key talent as well as their customers. If they don’t, they may not survive. History has shown us the power times of crisis have, and those businesses who are able to navigate the change typically come out the other side thriving.

Businesses getting back to normal will face differing challenges and circumstances in navigating “what’s next”. This is due to size, accessibility, impacts of the crisis, and so on. Even so, it is important to put in place some general assessments as part of your “return to work process” to ensure you have an idea of what your new landscape will look like. As you plan for your teams and workplace to return to the new normal engage in the following:

Employee Assessment – As employees have had the opportunity to work from home, it will be important to survey them to get a barometer of how they are feeling. Do they feel safe returning? Where is their confidence level to coming back to the office and their workspace? Did working from home change their view on commuting in every day? Will they want to return to a normal in-office work relationship? Are they eager to get back for the social connectivity? Do they still have family at home preventing them from having a “normal” schedule? Creating a survey with brief but intentional questions will help you gauge where your people are emotionally. It is critical to get honest feedback from your employees, therefore communicating the purpose is to gauge actions the business will take based on feedback will be an important step. You do not have to get all the questions answered the first time around. Start with the most important, and maybe even ask your employees to share with you some open-ended feedback. The goal here is to get an assessment of how they are feeling, and what is important to them, as this could shape the future of your in office and/or remote work future!

Technology and Workplace Assessment – Working remotely requires employees to have the proper technology to successfully and efficiently work from home, or in a remote cyber-secure environment. Workstations, connectivity to printers, phones, internet/wireless are just a few of the basics. Add in features such as video and voice over the internet phone (VOIP) technology and workers could be as efficient (sometimes more) as in the office. Complete an assessment of challenges your employees have had while working from home. Ask them what they need to be more efficient and successful. Determine gaps that might prevent them OR encourage them to continue to work remotely.

Policy and Procedure Assessment – When change hits and businesses are forced to innovate, creating policies and procedures around the changes is essential. Having these in place ensures that employees have policies and procedures to follow, which means the business is supportive, but also providing the framework for the employee to be successful. In the new normal, policies and procedures related to remote work should include things like core working hours, use of business technology hardware and software and procedures for communicating and engaging, just to name a few.  Policies and procedures should be in place for your company to provide employees the ability to work productively and efficiently in a remote environment. These are critical in setting expectations and guidelines for your people to be successful, but also for your business to run more efficiently.

As you consider these assessments in the business and continue to navigate change, remember:

• Trust is going to be a cornerstone in building confidence among employees and customers. Being open about potential new policies and practices in how you conduct business. Identifying changes in the organization (now and ongoing) and to your people. Sharing how this current crisis has had an impact, negatively, but more importantly, positively to the organization.
• Transparency will be essential not only in the current but as you continue to move forward. Engaging your people and getting a feel for what they need and want will be critical in your recruiting and retention efforts. Being open and honest with your customers on how you plan to keep them safe going forward will be a new norm. Being transparent builds additional trust and helps to ensure rumors and any misinformation are squashed before they have power.
• Communication is key to building trust and exuding transparency. Never has it been more important to be in front of your employees, customers and community. Businesses need to be communicating out what the business is doing in the face of change.

Completing these assessments are an essential part to your business moving forward and adapting to change. Coming out of this crisis, one thing will be hugely different and that is the impact to your retention and recruiting efforts. Specifically, your talent pool just got significantly larger, but this means your competitors poaching pool has too. Those employees who may wish to continue working from home, or on a more flexible schedule will look for opportunities that fit their need. In addition, businesses will find in moving to remote work a reduction in costs to office infrastructure, meaning more money to their bottom line.

Change is never easy; however, it is inevitable, and it provides an opportunity for businesses to innovate and be more competitive. Going back to what it used to be may is not an option, however the businesses who engage their people and customers, listen to feedback, and develop new processes and procedures can create a new normal making them more competitive.