As leaders world wide start to suggest (or threaten), ask (or tell), demand or hint that employees need to return to the office they are beginning to realize that employees don't automatically see the return to office as a good thing. To attract them back to the traditional workplace we have to make it worth their while.
To that end I've provided a handy series of questions for you to self assess on how much you've done to make the return to office attractive.
Each question is scored from 1-5
How intentional have you been to create an environment that
Engenders team collaboration (shared spaces for relaxed discussion and meetings)
Respects the need to focus (quiet secluded areas away from the collaboration spaces)
Uses light and color in an aesthetically pleasing way
Offers adjustable sitting desks with ergonomic chairs
Offers standing and/ or treadmill desks as an alternative
Double points if your employees were consulted in the above
How intentional have you been about
Offering flexible working arrangements to teams
Providing managers with decision making skills around hybrid workforce staffing planning
Helping managers be aware of unconscious bias in the hybrid world of work
Setting a zero tolerance policy for discriminating against employees who chose a different hybrid model to the one preferred by leadership
Providing employees with decision make training around hybrid team norms and standards
Providing a range of food and drink options for all ethnic and religious groups with a healthy diet and lifestyle in mind
Re-evaluating performance metrics to suit the new staffing model
Reviewing commuting expenses (how they have increased) in the time since your team was last full working from the office and addressing those increases.
How did you score?
Where are the gaps?
What is the change in engagement scores from pre to mid to post pandemic work arrangements?
Part of a leadership team? Take the test individually then compare results. Are you aligned? Where are you misaligned?
Now, what are you going to do about it?