Are you back in the office? When thinking about bringing the workforce back, the process should be about more about what exactly they are coming back to. We look at a few important considerations that should go into any restart plan.
As summer turned to fall, a full 26% of Americans said they were working entirely from home. The pandemic is certainly an accelerating force, but the transition telecommuting has already risen. Since 1995, the number of remote workdays per month has doubled, from an average of 5.8 days to 11.9 days in 2020.
Instead of total, sweeping change, those numbers indicate that most workers, and more companies, do not see remote work as an all-or-nothing proposition. Instead, there is more appeal in offering a hybrid system with clearly defined rules and expectations that both leadership and the team need to communicate, understand, and adhere to.
To shape the “New Normal” in your business, think ahead and plan ahead. Remember, out of change comes opportunity, and this is a chance for leaders to listen to their teams and reshape company structure and culture to better meet the needs of those doing the heavy lifting.
Business Hours. Not only will businesses have the opportunity to decide in-office, remote, and hybrid schedules, they’ll be able to examine the physical location itself. With fewer workers in the building on any given day, it may be cost-effective to reduce your office space. It can be a tough balance learning how to value an office building or facility on a square foot basis. We recommend looking at other commercial spaces for competitive pricing and making the most of the area you have.
Once you have a handle on the space itself, set expectations. First, decide when office hours are for the physical office. Do the doors open at 8am and shut at 6pm? Will employees the option to work outside of those hours? Will the office hours of the physical location also serve as operating hours for the entire company, including those who may be working remotely? That may also lead you and your team into the important discussion on how on-site and remote workers communicate and when they should be available.
Build for The Work You Do. If the office is a hybrid of workers, does everyone need a desk? The most beneficial reason to bring workers together is to brainstorm, collaborate, and think. Creating communal and shared spaces within the office that bring people together might be a better priority for your floor plan than providing space for desks that may be empty. To be sure, quiet and personal spaces are still a necessity, but they may be more “open” desks than assigned seats.
Invest In Safety. Even with reduced numbers, offices are still possible disease vectors. To allay fears of transmission and to keep your team, follow the state and federal guidelines to improve office health. Consider using plastic barriers, keeping team members six or more feet apart, and insist on masks. There is also plenty of evidence that HVAC and air purification systems are effectively tools in keeping shared spaces safe. Look at upgrading your HVAC filters to HEPA or MERV varieties that are compatible with your system and use technologies like Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization to further reduce risk. Even after the pandemic wanes, these efforts will improve the health and productivity of your team for years to come.
Be Flexible. A plan is only a starting point. The first step is to put it in front of the people who must live with it. Gather feedback from team members that may be facing quite different realities at home or very different working preferences. Those who are adamant about staying remote may be caring for children or elderly parents or could have underlying health issues themselves. Other may simply find themselves more productive without dealing with a long commute and distracting co-workers. Still others may be experiences issues with burnout and motivation working from home and miss the support and camaraderie of their teams. While one size may not fit all, all should be heard as the final system takes shape.
No matter what your “New Normal” looks like, the key will be communicating the expectations so that everyone feels empowered to succeed. That may be settling for some general guidelines about working in-person on a set schedule or working on a case-by-case basis with individual departments or even individual workers.
As we’ve mentioned so many times over the past several months, these discussions are also a time to show compassion. It is easy to forget that not everyone has had the same experience during the pandemic, and while you may be focused and motivated to get things revved up to full speed, others may be struggling. Ask questions, listen, and be patient. Sometimes the best thing a leader can do is tune-in.