We were almost there. After nearly 2 years of working from home, many companies were poised with December and January return-to-office dates. And then Omicron threw it all out the window.
While a handful of companies went ahead with their January timeline, most have realized that the “Great Wait” may be continuing for a little while longer. But what can we do about culture in the meantime, and how do we deal with the issues that arise surrounding returns after such a long time away, as well as navigating hybrid situations?
First, let’s recognize the growing consensus that return-to-office dates just won’t work with our weekly changing outlooks.
And every time we get a break in outbreaks, we have a holiday full of travel and large social gatherings, with health-related consequences to contend with.
When you have to play it week by week, it’s hard to make a set return date. The United States has already been through at least 3 waves of planned return dates that had to be scrapped last minute. It’s safe to say, that’s not the way forward. But if you can only give a week’s heads-up to employees, how does that give them time to get their ducks in a row beforehand? It doesn’t, of course.
Recognizing that employees may need to slowly reintegrate, rather than return en masse on a given Monday, is key to morale staying high. Childcare, commute options, some workers have even relocated over the past 2 years. They need time to get these details in place, as though they were starting a new job altogether. Listen to what they need and provide space for flexibility as they return.
And when it comes to returning – not everyone wants to.
Around the country, far less than 50% of the workforce has come back to in-person. The general thought, 2 years into our new normal, is that the idea of a “full return to work” is dead. For some people, working remotely was a revelation.
Their work/life balance was instantly easier to maintain once their commute was taken out of the equation. Creativity soared, and job satisfaction increased. Employee retention is a higher priority now than ever, given we’re still in the midst of the Great Resignation. And retaining them means being willing to ask them where they want to work from.
Experts seem to feel that we will continue to see a net positive for society if hybrid workplaces become a permanent feature. Greater flexibility to work from home, while only coming into the workplace occasionally or on certain days of the week, increases job satisfaction. We need to create a hybrid workspace that maximizes the benefits while minimizing the downsides of remote work AND in-office work.
And all that brings us to the conundrum of how you foster a workplace culture that isn’t already cohesive. How do you have a continuation of that culture between in-office workers AND hybrid workers. In the fight to attract and retain top talent in today’s atmosphere, a positive company culture is a huge selling point.
Focus on:
1) Be open to hybrid workers and slowly reintegrate in-office workers
2) Keep workers engaged
3) Keep them energized!
If there’s one thing we’ve learned by watching teachers through the pandemic – it’s that juggling in-person AND virtual personalities is a lot of work. Making either the hybrid model or the in-person model work while keeping morale high, is dependent on managers listening and taking action.
If possible, when bringing a new employee on board, have them start work in-office. It’s really hard to navigate a workplace’s culture when you can’t watch other employees and see it in action. If working remotely, be specific and teach them explicitly what’s expected and “how you do things around here.”
You need to recognize that they won’t have any social cues to go on unless you expressly tell them. Spending time together in the office reinforces that you have a common mission. You may need to put extra effort into reinforcing that goal across the board with hybrid workers, so that they stay on the same page with their in-office counterparts. And most important, remember that a positive culture is a result of intentional choices. Be strategic and pay attention: the result of good listening plus action is a sense of trust and cohesiveness within your workforce.
