Return To Office: What's Needed Now

With vaccination efforts progressing steadily and more states easing COVD-19 related restrictions, many organizations are accelerating return to office planning, although what that looks like differs significantly across organizations.

As leaders finalize their plans and procedures, recent surveys currently indicate that while everyone understands the importance of in-person interaction, employees, many of whom have settled into a new routine, are showing more reluctance to return immediately to the pre-pandemic status quo. And while most employers have embraced a “hybrid” model, there have been a multitude of variations put into play: 2-days, 3-days, variable schedules and fully flexible, with some orgs implementing multiple hybrid approaches for various roles/levels.  The options and approaches vary widely.  Some companies are letting each employee determine their schedule (and the amount of days in the office sometimes determine if they have their own space or will be hoteling), some are leaving it up to the manager and others are taking a company-wide approach.  What they share in common is a strong desire to find the right blend of in-person interaction with employees desire for more flexibility.

According to a recent PwC study, over 70% of employers and employees indicated that remote work has been successful. However, while 91% of employers think that permanent remote work should end by December 2021, only 77% of employees feel similarly. There is even disagreement on what a return to the office might look like, with 55% of employees saying they’d like to be remote at least three days a week. In contrast, 68% of executives believe that people should be in the office at least three days a week, specifically noting that collaboration and maintaining company culture are only possible in live environments. 

Despite this disparity, firms are listening to their employees and are taking this opportunity to improve the hybrid work experience. Over 60% of executives expect to raise spending on virtual collaboration tools, hoteling apps, and training, perhaps a nod to the red-hot job market and the 76% of applicants that said they would favor applying to jobs with remote working options. Many of today’s senior candidates, inquire about flexibility and remote work early in conversations.

At this point, in early June 2021, the most important thing HR leaders can do is to listen to their employees. Rick Kershaw, Chief People Officer of Peakon, a Workday company, said recently that “it’s essential to establish or maintain a continuous dialogue with your employees, so you understand how they feel about working from home, and returning to the workplace. Employees may feel differently from one week to the next as varying factors will influence their sentiment. Parents, for example, may find remote working difficult while they have children at home, but when schools reopen, could enjoy it much more.” These listening efforts can come through formal pilot programs or informal surveys and conversations, and while it may not be possible to please everybody, showing transparency and openness in the decision-making process will help breed trust within the organization. 

Have a story about returning to work or an approach you’ve used that you’d like to share? Reach out to us at info@bensonsearch.com--we’d love to hear from you!