How Leaders Can Prepare for Their Employees’ Return to Office

Many business leaders are contemplating a full or partial return of their employees to the office post-pandemic. As they consider all the variables involved, they tend to categorize employees in two groups: those who are eager to return and those who are opposed. As executive recruiters, we work with clients and candidates who are experiencing either extreme, or somewhere in between…

The eventual return to the office, whatever that will look like in the future, can leave managers scrambling to figure out the best way possible to bring their team back into the office. Even when it comes to future hires, what is the best way to handle working in an office once again?

Here are some things that can make the translation smoother:

Conduct an Employee Survey

See how comfortable people are going back into the office. Conducting an employee wide surgery can help give you an idea of how comfortable some people are and how others are not. Knowing this information can help when deciding back to office schedules.

Be Upfront

Tell your employees exactly what you're thinking and what is going on. Tell them their expectations going forward. This makes your employees more comfortable and more willing to go back into the office 

Create More Space

Create more space around cubicles and workspaces. This can make employees feel safer and more comfortable. 

Time to Adjust

Adjusting back into the groove of working from the office can be very difficult after working from home for over a year. Giving your employees time to adjust will make this transition easier.

Consider Productivity Based on Each Employee

Depending on the person, they could be more productive at work or in a home environment. Find out where your employees are more productive and utilize that. If some employees are more productive at home, consider a hybrid approach. 

Evaluations and Assessments

While making this transition it is important to evaluate the transitions and assess how the employees are doing. Evaluating the employees can help them better adapt.

As the world eventually emerges from the pandemic, leaders will experience a range of reactions from their people, from relief and excitement to fear and hesitation. With the aid of the above strategies, leaders can be better prepared to help their employees’ transition back to work.