Companies are actively (and excitedly) attempting to convince employees to return to the workplace as the pandemic’s effects are gradually decreasing. The excitement isn’t shared by many employees though. How do you, as a manager, encourage your employees back to work?
Employees were made to leave the office and return to their homes more than two years ago due to COVID-19. Most of the offices have already reopened, and companies are welcoming their employees back to office. However, not everyone is as eager to go back.
Managers notice that While many employees are eager to return to their work stations, others are hesitant to return to the office. Additionally, just forcing employees to return could lead in dissatisfaction or, worse, resignations.
As a result, it’s important that you, as a leader, make sure you manage the return to work in the best manner possible. There are eight suggestions for motivating employees to return to work below.
The first step in getting your employees back to the office is creating a positive work environment. Everyone wants to be happy at work, and you can help them feel like they’re in control of their own destiny by providing them with opportunities to grow and learn new skills. This doesn’t mean giving them more work — it means helping them find ways to improve their performance .
Make sure that you talk with each individual employee about what their return means for them personally and professionally. This allows you to better understand what issues people are facing and how best to help them throughout this time period so that you can provide support whenever possible!
When most of your workforce wants to remain remote, but you prefer a traditional model, you may be able to find a compromise. If you want to offer your employees more flexibility, you could use a hybrid model.
For example:
Divide your weekdays into office hours and remote hours– If working remotely isn’t a problem for you, you might want to consider allowing it on some days. For instance, you could schedule Tuesday and Thursday as remote days and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as office days.
Include flex hours- You could also include flex hours to give employees some flexibility in their schedules. It could help them avoid the pain of rush hour traffic and allow them to spend more time with their families. They might be able to spend more time with their families and avoid the annoyance of rush hour traffic.
Use remote work as a reward- Take into account rewarding someone with remote work. For instance, it might be a perk for those with a certain level of experience or a short-term incentive for exceptionally good work.
One of the biggest challenges when returning from COVID-19 is that employees may not know what’s expected of them or how they should behave in the workplace. If you want people to return, you need to make sure policies are clear and consistent throughout your company so that everyone knows what they need to do! You can also ask managers and supervisors if they have any questions about policies, so everyone is on the same page when it comes time for return-to-work day!
The transition back would be less stressful if the physical office were made more attractive to employees.
Furniture and amenities. If you invest in better offices, better desks, and a well-appointed break room, your office could equal any home office. the office should be comfortable and supportive of high productivity.
cleanliness and maintenance- Since the majority of us are happier and more productive in a clean atmosphere, you’ll also need to spend in cleanliness and maintenance. Hire a qualified cleaning crew, and make sure they have the appropriate cleaning equipment for the job.
Rebuilding the corporate culture will be your next task. What kind of culture and values do you wish to foster among your staff members? What will enable them to remain a unit? This is a great opportunity to reevaluate your company’s core values, collaborate with leadership to set better examples for employees, and brainstorm about ways to encourage more bonding and togetherness.
Now, while in many cases the company will have the legal right to do so if the job location is stated in the employee contract (more on contracts in the next point), this often only leads to a discontented workforce. Instead, try and focus on providing incentives and offering benefits that make it attractive for employees to return to the office.
We cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is to maintain contact with your staff and modify your policies as necessary. If you want to keep great people, you must adapt to the fast-changing nature of the workplace.
It’s more crucial today than ever to consistently promote an open feedback culture in your company. Additionally, it would probably be better for you to adopt a hybrid or remote working approach rather than force everyone back into the office.
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