Workers are slowly returning to the office. In the US, employees are returning at the highest rate since the pandemic began.  After many months of working from home, employees are keen to leave isolation and get into a workspace where they feel motivated and comfortable. Yet it must be a space that reflects the autonomy we’ve all become used to. As employers, how do we create such environments? Hybrid working allows for hot desking and social distancing, but encouraging cohesion among a disparate workforce, many of whom will be new starters, is an entirely new challenge. Here are my top tips on how to welcome your team back to the office. 

Redefine your space
Lockdown is an opportunity to reimagine the office space. Whether you’re hiring an open plan office, a shared workspace or conference room by the hour, put your employees’ wellbeing at the core of your thinking. The space must feel like one they own, and would want to spend leisure time in.  The absence of dedicated offices and the provision of coworking spaces, green spaces, catering and relaxation areas are becoming ever more important, and the offices is becoming a place of well being and advancement. For this reason the best office spaces should be synonymous with high-value added services, which should offer optimal occupant experience and cover everything from concierge services to catering, hospitality and incident reporting.   

And let them define their space
Everyone has different needs – from heating, lighting and ventilation even down to office snacks. If you can make it as easy as possible for your staff to define their environment. Enable clear internal feedback structures through online polls, private or informal meetings, anonymous feedback platforms, customer service apps and more.  It is important to be able monitor the premises and employee satisfaction levels in real time, so establish communication tools between management and staff to share news and feedback about their office. 

Enable on-site collaboration 
Encourage your team back to the office with areas to meet and collaborate. Offices now have fewer private work areas. For many companies, it can be too expensive to keep a private desk which may be under used.  Instead, utilise common areas.  These areas need to be easily accessible, bookable and in sufficient number.  A friend working at a major bank told me he does not want to come back to the office because it’s difficult to find a meeting room or communications area, so he prefers to stay home. As a manager you must try to negate this hurdle by providing better shared workspaces. 

Encourage attendance
Employees should want to return to work to socialise and advance their career.  Incentivise returning to the premises with training courses, social events, and guest lectures, but still allow for remote participation. Make sure your workspace is not a passive setting, but a place people can learn, develop and shape their environment. Employees expectations have changed and companies and offices must offer them an optimal experience on the return to the workspace which must be more responsive and better serviced than ever before.  Also keep in mind that with the advent of the hybrid workplace, companies should organise off-site social or work events more regularly for the whole team to spend time together.  

Be flexible but set boundaries 
The challenge with remote and hybrid working is not that your team will work too little, but they will work too much. Make sure your remote team are taking regular breaks as part of their working routine, and if, for example, they are filing a report for you late at night or on a weekend, assess their workload and encourage them to take things easier. For those returning to the office, encourage lunch hours, and close of business by 7pm. This particularly applies to you too. Know when to switch off. 

In conclusion.. 
The proliferation of business applications in recent years has widened the gap between the user experience outside the company’s premises, and inside it. It is now necessary to bring all the company offerings within a single tool, guaranteeing a fluid employee experience. Businesses need a shared space to create ideas and build relationships. We must now bring people together into attractive environments that enrich professional identities and facilitate personal development. Stress, boredom and loneliness can be brought on by remote working, so it’s time to get back to the office and enjoy shared spaces for all they can offer.