Managing teams remotely has caused leaders to think of new ways to keep their employees engaged and productive. The past seven months of remote work have changed the business model of many companies for the better. Although coworkers have not been able to collaborate in person on various tasks or for quick questions, the adjustment to working remotely has served as a hub for collaboration and discovering the best practices regarding productivity. Working virtually has caused companies and their employees to reflect internally to develop new infrastructure as they go, and therefore caused them to become more adaptable in an effort to work as efficiently as possible. As we are moving into Q4, many international and domestic companies have announced that they will be working remotely until 2021, and other organizations have adjusted their estimates for resuming office life multiple times. While companies are structured and managed differently, the tips below can help guide the conversation about returning to the office.
Considerations of Returning to the Office:
- Communicate a COVID-19 Code of Conduct to be transparent about safety precautions and standards that will be implemented in the office.
- Encourage physical distancing and using a hybrid schedule to limit the amount of people in the office at a time.
- Use a welcoming approach to individual comfort levels of returning to the office.
- Focus on internal mobility to encourage employees to gain more knowledge in different areas in order to add to their expertise. This also suggests that the company is working to reconfigure their employees for new opportunities instead of recruiting elsewhere.
The constant state of performance management by leadership and employees alike highlights the common goal of success and unity during this pandemic. Reflecting on how a company functions is a beneficial task for every employee and employer to contemplate because it will shape how the organization runs in the future. In today’s office climate, the outlook still remains unknown for many businesses regarding working from home, but providing tentative plans or options gives employees peace of mind.
Andrew Reising serves as a Director at RETS Associates, a national real estate executive search firm. He can be reached at: andrew@retsusa.com
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