Why Ordering Employees Back To The Office Isn’t Working

Strategies for inclusive hybrid workplaces and office optimization

 
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about what looks like a lasting shift toward remote and hybrid work. Pre-pandemic, only seven percent of U.S. workers with jobs that could be performed from home actually worked from home exclusively. However, video conferencing and collaboration technology as well as the occurrence of Covid accelerated the trend of working from home.

As a result, companies are reducing their physical footprint and moving to a more distributed and virtual workplace. As of February of 2023, 41 percent of workers with jobs that can be done remotely had a hybrid schedule, up from 35 percent in January 2022, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted of 5,188 U.S. adults working part or full time. At the same time, 35 percent remain fully remote, down from 43 percent a little over a year ago. This means 76 percent of knowledge workers are now either fully remote or hybrid.
 

But not everyone is happy about the shift. Many employers have turned a blind eye to their staff’s changing needs and preferences, to the point where 50 percent of leaders insist on full-time in-person work while only 12 percent of employees want to comply. Many companies are experiencing an increasingly dissatisfied workforce – and yet they wonder why their employees keep resigning.

I think that’s a recipe for disaster. Inclusivity means, among other things, making sure workers from all walks of life are heard and their preferences don’t get ignored. That can’t happen if employers are resolute about all employees returning to 100 percent in-person work, no exceptions.

For anyone interested in changing the tide of attrition, here are some strategies for HR professionals to enhance inclusivity in the workplace and make sure employees have a voice.

The Challenge of a Divided Workforce

How important is it to accommodate different work models? After all, there’s a reason why CEOs want their employees to come back to the office. It’s hard to coordinate a workforce that’s spread over multiple locations or communicating through screens. Collaboration gets harder, and many employees miss out on the informal social interactions and engagement that in-person work provides. Some individuals can even struggle with their mental wellbeing when completely isolated at home away from the in-person environment. And finally, it can be hard to train employees and help them grow from a distance.

At the same time, some employees are simply dead set on working from home at least part time. There can be many reasons for that: maybe they want to maintain a better work-life balance or they have a hard time interacting with their peers on a daily basis. Or it could be due to health issues. Maybe they’re at risk due to a chronic health problem and can’t afford to come into contact with bacteria and germs in the close quarters of an office, or maybe they’re concerned about poor indoor environmental quality in the office that can lead to headaches, fatigue, or worsened asthma through poor lighting, bad air quality, or excessive noise.

Casting their needs aside can lead to discontentment and low morale. Ultimately, companies need to figure out a way to balance the needs of the company with the needs of individual workers.

The Value of Remote and Hybrid Teams

Here’s why it matters. I’ve seen a lot of companies handle “back to the office” the wrong way, without considering the needs of employees. Believe me, it doesn’t end well. Typically, the undervalued employees leave and find new jobs where they can do work in the way they want. Fortunately, I’ve also seen it handled the right way when employers actually take their workers’ concerns seriously and choose to show value for a remote and hybrid workforce by catering to their needs. The result is stronger teams and better collaboration.

Because of that, the first thing I have to say to anyone who wants to rush back to the office is, give it some time. Consider going hybrid instead of fully in-person. People who have been working remotely throughout the last three years need some time to adjust to the office, and in the meantime, they need flexibility and support.

Give remote or partially remote workers access to the resources and technologies they need to interact with in-person teams. I personally use Slack and Google Meet when I’m out of the office. In addition, you should provide mentorship and training opportunities when your hybrid workers are in the office. The office isn’t just a place for them to sit at a desk under the manager’s watchful eye; it’s now a place for collaboration and social interaction.

Optimize the Office

Maybe you’ve already made the transition to a hybrid work model. What comes next? How do you make sure that their experience in the office is positive? This will involve a lot of listening to your employees. Do a survey or reach out one-on-one and give workers a chance to talk. What’s keeping them from coming back to the workplace or going hybrid? Establish channels for open communication and feedback so employees can feel safe giving their opinions and voicing concerns.

Before you make any changes to your office setup, you need to know how people are actually using your office. I like to say that employees vote with their feet; in other words, they spend time in the areas that they like best, and that should show you what you’re doing right vs. what you’re doing wrong. You can use occupancy data from smart sensors to identify areas of the workplace that are underutilized. Then you can repurpose these spaces to create an office setup that matches employee needs.

For example, maybe during the cold season a certain office is relatively full and in the summer that office is nearly empty. Maybe it’s because there’s too much natural light and glare during the summer, or maybe it’s because your HVAC isn’t working properly. Either way, it tells you a little bit about what your employees’ preferences are: probably a cooler, somewhat less bright environment. Or perhaps employees tend to congregate in a conference room. Is this because they want the company and opportunities to collaborate? Or are they somehow uncomfortable at their assigned workspace?

Another way you can optimize is through indoor environmental data, which can help you identify areas of the workplace that are uncomfortable or unhealthy. This will help you cater to the needs of employees who have chronic health issues or are concerned about, for example, air quality or eye strain. You can use data on air quality to show you where you need to improve ventilation, and information on lighting and noise levels coupled with employee feedback can help you drive patterns between eye strain and a poor lighting setup or headaches and excessive noise.

Going back to the office will never be easy. Workplace leaders tend to push for in-person, while employees will often prefer remote work. An inclusive and successful work environment hinges on you making the most of what you have and accommodating both employee and company needs to the best of your ability.

Author Bio

Louis Blatt is the COO of Join Digital. He is a visionary software executive who presents an unblemished record of improving enterprise value by understanding market opportunities and driving the organization to grow faster.