Dr. Chris Mullen, Ph.D., is executive director of The Workforce Institute at UKG, which curates strategies for great workplace experiences.
getty
How we approach a return-to-office strategy is the big question on the minds of CEOs, chief financial officers and chief human resource officers alike. And to come up with meaningful solutions, we must acknowledge that an unprecedented event like a pandemic may require unprecedented solutions—ones that we may not have considered before and may take us out of our comfort zones.
We must also recognize that there will be differing points of view on what the near future brings. Some leaders feel strongly that full-time remote work or a hybrid solution are the best options, while others believe strongly that coming back into the office every day is the way to move forward. Neither camp is wrong. This issue is complex and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Early Mandates May Be Met With Mixed Reactions
Some companies have already decided that the only answer is to actually return to the office, with consulting and financial services firms leading the charge. They are doing everything they can to sweeten the pot and lure employees back with perks such as free meals and contemplative workspaces.
Unfortunately, many employees are just not buying it. Many see no need to return because they feel like they have worked from home successfully for two-plus years. Long commutes, high gas prices and inflation also make coming into the office less attractive. A multi-generational workforce that thinks about work differently further complicates this issue. Most Gen Xers and Boomers live to work, and most Millennials and Gen Z employees reject that concept: They work to live.
The takeaway? Flexibility is key. In fact, my company, UKG, recently did a study and found that 24% of people who left their job during the Great Resignation said that more flexibility would have encouraged them to stay put.
The Renegotiation Of Work Will Require Flexibility And Compromise
How can employers start to create a thoughtful plan that maximizes productivity and addresses the needs and concerns of their employees? The renegotiation of work as we return to each other will require a more customized approach that places people first and their needs front and center. The decision employers make here can have long-term financial ramifications in terms of the company’s ability to retain and recruit employees.
Here are some action items employers should consider when negotiating their organization’s RTO plans:
Check your motives. Companies need to determine whether their RTO motives are in the right place. Is the goal to keep an eye on employees? Or are you truly bringing people together to foster teamwork, solve complex problems, collaborate and connect?
Take a customized approach. Acknowledge that the pre-pandemic workplace has changed forever and lean into offering flexible options such as an office and remote model, a hybrid-office model and a hybrid-remote option. Provide people with a choice and flexibility that best fits their individual needs.
Sell the sizzle. Clearly explain the benefits of coming into the office so employees understand the importance and it does not just look like an edict. For example, do not tell people to come to the office and then have a bunch of virtual meetings. If you are going to be together, be together. In addition, share the other benefits of being together, such as the strengths of in-person collaboration and innovation.
Be transparent. Share company decisions and detail why some roles can be remote and what is being done for others. Also, if there are employees who want to be remote and their current job requires their presence, look at this as a retention opportunity by working with them to create a career path that will allow them to upskill for their next role. You might just retain them (and create a happy, more engaged team member in the process) instead of losing them to a competitor that offers the flexibility they want. Again, this is an evolution. Make it clear that you and your employees are trying this together and that you might tweak your decisions based on how well it works. Set a date to survey your employees again to see how it is going, get their feedback and gather suggestions on how to make it better.
Do Not Forget About The 'Gray-Collar' Worker
Companies would be remiss if they did not also address the needs of gray-collar workers—those highly skilled, highly trained workers who are required to be present to do their jobs, such as teachers, nurses or first responders. Employers can give gray-collar workers control over their work, when they work, what they work on and who they work with. Organizations can provide ideal work schedules where possible and review employees’ job responsibilities to see if there is a portion of work they could complete at home. As an example, could a nurse complete paperwork from home for half a day? Or could teachers prepare lesson plans from home on teacher planning days?
Remember, just like when the pandemic started, we evolved from working in the office every day to working remotely full-time. Now is the time for the next evolution, where we work together to figure out what works best for our companies and our people. Think of this evolution as an experiment, where you get to solve the problem together and it is not set in stone. People must give their companies grace, and companies must give their people grace as they hit bumps in the road and pivot. But if we stay focused on the employee experience, both people and companies can reap the benefits of a more productive, happier and healthier workplace.
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
