Last March, we wouldn鈥檛 have guessed it would be another 14 months before planning began for a transition back to the office. There is little doubt your team has rapidly adapted, developed new skills and become infinitely more flexible.
Here are a few important things to consider as your team builds its reopening plan.
Hybrid Work Options
According to , more than 70% of workers want flexible remote work options to continue after offices are reopened and, at the same time, 65% of employees are craving more in-person time with their teams. In addition, employers are finding with a remote work option, talent can be found anywhere. This combination makes hybrid work and extreme flexibility an essential consideration.
Key Takeaway – Employers will need to devote efforts to build the most effective strategy to keep and attract talent.
Technology Tip – A Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), like Window鈥檚 Virtual Desktop (WVD), may be a valuable solution. Creating secure access from anywhere and from any machine makes remote work for employers and employees easy and efficient.
Communication is Key
It will not be business-as-usual on the first day. Employees may be feeling nervous about getting back to the office. It will take some time for new routines, with added safety requirements, to become established.
Key Takeaway – Two-way communication among teams throughout the transition period will be important. Consider implementing a weekly/bi-weekly survey process to stay ahead of potential issues.
Technology Tip – Many of our key customers maximize tools like Microsoft Teams and TinyPULSE to stay close to employee sentiment and gather feedback. Check out how they might help your organization.
Your Technology Game
No doubt, technical skills were sharpened from relying on technology more than ever. Team members gained a stronger understanding of the applications one used every day and/or added new ones. The digital intensity of a worker鈥檚 day has increased substantially in the last year with weekly meeting time up 148% for Teams users and the number of Team chats per person up 45%. At the same time, 62% percent of meetings/calls were reported as unscheduled or ad hoc in the last year.
Key Takeaway – We have all learned how to connect with our teams in different ways. This know-how will continue to serve us moving forward but we must evaluate how best to engage with teams and clients to avoid burnout.
Technology Tip – With the communication options currently available to organizations, consider creating communication guidelines and best practices. For example, email subject lines must contain a indicator of content like 鈥�Informational,鈥� 鈥�Action Required鈥� or 鈥�Response Required.鈥� Or, set communication best practices based on Teams Availability status like 鈥�no chat messages when a team member鈥檚 status is set to Do Not Disturb.鈥� Simple guidelines could offer great relief to those team members struggling with maintaining work-life boundaries.
Authenticity in the Workplace
Your interpersonal skills likely also had to hit another level to stay connected with your team and your clients. Many leaders sent gifts and small, thoughtful tokens to remind teams that they were all in this together. According to the survey, people who interacted with their coworkers more closely (20% report meeting a coworker鈥檚 family or pets, 17% admit to crying with a coworker) experienced stronger work relationships and reported higher productivity and overall wellbeing.
Key Takeaway – The authenticity and bonds created by one tough year has produced an unexpected opportunity to transform company culture. In the new modern workplace, employees are more likely to feel empowered to 鈥榖ring one鈥檚 whole self to work.鈥�
Non-Technology Tip – Continuing dedication to connection when back in the office could make a large impact as everyone settles into new routines.
Workspace Adjustments
最大资源采集网 66% of business decision-makers are considering redesigning their physical workspaces to better accommodate flexible work environments, according to .
Key Takeaway – This is not an undertaking to be entered into lightly. It can take extensive planning both operationally and technically.
Technology Tip – Reassembling workstations may require extra time and assistance upon returning. Consideration will need to be given for things like VPN, workstation set up and team members onboarded in a virtual work environment.
If you’re having trouble connecting to your VPN, try this guide!
Did We Mention the Importance of Flexibility?
It bears repeating. The survey refers to it as extreme flexibility. This may include flexible meeting spaces, working locations, working times, travel policies, etc. Let鈥檚 not forget schools and daycares may or may not be on the same schedule and team members may still require varying start times.
Key Takeaway – Flexibility must be a key component to an organization鈥檚 back-to-work strategy. Employee expectations have changed, and the definition of productivity has expanded with heavier influences from collaboration, learning and wellbeing.
Technology Tip – Staying up to date on modern workplace trends will provide employees with increased options for flexibility in when, where and how they maximize their work.
At 最大资源采集网, we gathered employee feedback to build our hybrid work plan. We asked, on a sliding scale of 鈥渂ack to the office every single day鈥� to 鈥渙ne or two times a month,鈥� what employees would prefer. From here, we released tentative benchmark dates for limited capacity and full capacity. We have scheduled several events to warm everyone back up to the office, as well, like an optional 鈥渓unch-on-us.鈥�
Our reopened offices will look and may feel different than they did prior to pandemic shutdowns. But, with our added skills and an extreme flexibility mindset, what won鈥檛 be different is our dedication to our team鈥檚 common goals.
