According to Statista, between 2020 and 2023, the number of remote workers grew from 20% to 28% worldwide. And this is largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many to stay home to self-isolate. Although the pandemic is behind us, benefits such as flexible schedules and the ability to live anywhere continue to make telecommuting attractive to many, especially workers in the technology sector.
However, staying home too long and being lonely is the opposite side of the coin that should be considered. More importantly, managing employees remotely - while keeping them motivated and effective - is extremely challenging. So, the difficulties in maintaining organisational culture in the workplace and fostering collaboration have become the main reasons for many managers to return to the office. In this article, you will learn about the return to the office trend gaining momentum in recent times.
Today, many leaders yearn for the familiar office life realising the challenges of keeping their subordinates on track. According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index report, about 85% of CEOs doubt the productivity of remote workers. They believe that the office environment is better for maintaining an atmosphere of sharing ideas for efficient problem-solving.
Corporate culture is another reason why companies are going back to the office lately. According to CEOs of large corporations, this is one of the strongest drivers as it is much more difficult to nurture commitment to the company and its values through screens remotely. Building strong relationships and maintaining team spirit requires live communication, team events and even just meeting in the office kitchen for a cup of coffee.
How do you get employees who are used to the delights of remote working to return to the office environment? Obviously, this is a complex process that requires a thoughtful approach on the part of leaders. However, there are many strategies that emphasise a smooth transition of employees back to the office, which is the most appropriate fit.
Watch any back to the office meme and you'll see a harried worker with a huge cup of coffee in hand or a lot of identical office cubicles. Accustomed to a free schedule and lack of constant supervision from their bosses, many employees remember with horror the times when they had to wake up early and stand in endless traffic jams on their way to work.
To avoid drastic measures that can cause widespread employee discontent, business leaders are choosing a phased approach to ease the transition from a comfortable home workspace to a corporate environment. To prevent culture shock and allow time to adjust to the new routine, leaders use a gradual adoption approach, with employees returning to the office when they are ready and depending on specific tasks. Here's how it works:
· Increase employee presence in the office in stages. For example, Google uses a 3-2 strategy where employees have two days to work remotely with a commitment to be in the office at least three days a week.
· A hybrid schedule where employees can choose their days to work in the office. This approach enables them to arrange their own time to minimise the stress of a sudden return to a permanent office job.
· Use of pilot groups to test different strategies for returning to the corporate culture.
· A flexible approach depending on external circumstances - i.e., the willingness of companies to return to a remote working format in favour of employee health and well-being.
It is not a good idea to bring all employees back to the office at once and many managers are well aware of this. Practice shows that leaders' flexibility and responsiveness to employee needs have a profound impact on productivity.
During the pandemic, when many worked from the comfort of their homes, people reassessed their priorities and were able to improve their personal and work-life balance. They were also able to establish a comfortable - and, more importantly, personalised - working environment. Going back to the office today means giving up the many benefits of remote working.
Employee Concerns Over Being Back in the Office
Companies forcing employees back to the office work face many challenges including the resistance of employees themselves. Here are the main reasons why employees are reluctant to give up working from home:
· Many workers see returning to the office as a step back to the days when they had less time for family and hobbies.
· The time and financial cost of travelling to the office, which is especially important in big cities where there are traffic jams and problems with public transport.
· Stress caused by the need to be constantly in front of the management with mandatory meetings and increased supervision.
Notably, some employees worry that by refusing to return to the office they may fall behind their colleagues and thus lose the opportunity for career advancement. Therefore, some leaders create a work environment where visibility and active participation can have a direct impact on career prospects, thereby encouraging employees to choose the office format.
Lessons from remote working have been learnt and many companies are now building elaborate strategies for returning to the office. Hybrid work schedules, a focus on employee wellbeing and a rethinking of productivity are at the heart of these strategies. An interesting trend for 2024 has been to define productivity not by time at the workplace but by results. By moving to KPI and OKR systems, employees feel less pressure to be physically present at the workplace and are more task-orientated.
So, now you understand why companies are going back to the office and what challenges leaders face. To make corporate culture more attractive, companies are creating flexible and adaptable workspaces. Offices no longer look like they used to with their tight rows of desks and closed cubicles.
The concept of Activity-Based Working where workers can move between different areas makes offices more appealing. Do you run creative sessions? Then move to an open space with whiteboards and interactive elements for presentations and discussions. Need to work on concentration? Welcome to a quiet area with noise insulation. These solutions create a space that inspires work and keeps employees productive.
Although the trend to return to traditional office work is increasing, experts still doubt that this process will last long. As workers have adapted quickly and easily to remote working, the office has already lost its status as the only place to be productive. However, this does not mean the value of live communication and corporate culture is completely lost.
Researchers believe that the future lies in hybrid models. Twitter, for example, still allows employees to work remotely while maintaining offices as creative hubs for collaboration. While JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs did opt for the traditional format, a full-fledged return to the office seems unlikely. Realising how important flexibility is to success, leaders can no longer ignore their employees' modern demands.
Unfortunately, the remote format often makes it difficult to achieve creative collaboration between team members scattered around the world. Because sustained success requires more than productivity, leaders are looking to maintain creative collaboration and company culture by offering hybrid schedules.
Accustomed to the comfort of working in a home environment, employees face a lot of stress when they return to the office. Realising how much mental health and employee satisfaction affect a company's overall performance, leaders are increasingly opting for a flexible approach.
While productivity has increased slightly due to better idea sharing, having to return to a less comfortable working environment is causing dissatisfaction and stress for employees.
Many companies are moving to OKR and KPI systems as they help to more objectively measure actual employee productivity and engagement in a hybrid environment.
Because employees are still required to be in the office several days a week, younger employees still have the opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues.
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