In an environment where headlines are dominated by hybrid working and enabling remote work, the idea of coming back to the office has the potential to be an archaic point of view.
Despite the improvements in work life balances, and the fact that the economy hasn’t collapsed due to a void of productivity from Netflix-bingeing employees, there are positives to be had from an office environment.
Immediately out of the lockdown, younger employees working out of bedrooms and parents’ kitchen tables were some of the first who decided to go back to the office, and over the last 12 months there’s been an acceptance that employees will need to meet up in person to carry out certain kinds of collaborative tasks.
In fact, research found that 67 percent of workers have said they want to work with their colleagues in-person more. But approaching the subject can be tricky, especially against the backdrop of a pandemic.
To cope with this, Rob Dalgety, Mitel Field Marketing Director, has provided four steps for businesses to follow when welcoming employees back to the office.
- Give Them Space
One of the key things to bear in mind is that each employee will have different feelings towards mixing with lots of people again.
To that end, Dalgety said that some social distancing should remain to make sure employees are comfortable back in the office.
“Just because an employee is back in the office, doesn’t mean they aren’t concerned about their health and safety. In fact, many people who’ve been in the office the majority of the time since the pandemic hit, have probably become quite accustomed to an empty and quiet office space”
“The return of hybrid workers will be just as much of an adjustment for them as it will be for those who’ve been at home, therefore some social distancing should remain to ease the transition of hybrid workers back into the physical work environment.”
- Give Them a Permanent Home
One of the perks of the office working was the physical space that you worked in. That seems to be on the way out as hybrid working has opened the door for less dedicated spaces, in favour of hot desking.
“While it may make sense for people splitting their time between remote and in-office work to have a desk, office-first employees should have a dedicated workspace when possible,” said Dalgety. “They’ll benefit from being able to come in every day knowing everything they need to do their job is right where they left it, and they won’t have to worry about whether or not the area they’re working in has been properly sanitised.”
- Make It Feel Like Everyone Is Back in the Office
The relationships we strike with our colleagues is a key contributor to our productivity when working together. While employees make their way back into the office in their own time, it’s important to make sure they are not left out.
Dalgety said that technology plays a key role in eliminating any FOMO. “Managers can make it feel like everyone is in the same room with the right unified communications technology. An all-in-one solution that lets colleagues communicate and collaborate across regions and time zones knocks down virtual walls.
“For instance, it gives employees a single application for voice, video, messaging, presence, audio conferencing and collaboration. Collaborative workspaces keep everyone connected. Team members can share notes, files and status updates on projects just as easily as if everyone were together.”
- Transform the In-Office Huddle Room
One argument running throughout the industry is that we are just not as productive as when hashing out ideas face to face with each other, despite evidence that the job can be done remotely.
But the video conferencing technologies, that are now an established component of working life, can also make the different for in-office experiences, as Dalgety explains: “Videoconferencing is a great way to keep face-to-face interactions going for the hybrid workforce, but now businesses can take it to the next level and transform the in-office huddle space with a single, unified communications solution.
“Features that allow employees to connect their laptop to the video hardware already in the office conference room, use multi-pane views for up to 16 attendees, or active speaker view to focus attention, means colleagues can meet both in-person and virtually, share notes and store files. This is a powerful, yet simple way to keep office-first workers connected and engaged with hybrid colleagues, meeting after meeting.”
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