The most-heard question is how we get people back into the office. The secret is... read here.
A wide body of research shows that when we’re physically together, we more easily create, share understanding, feel connected, and collaborate. Even with video meetings, this can’t be replaced. So for most companies, getting people to come into the office still makes sense.
However, recent research from Microsoft shows that 38% of employees say their greatest hybrid challenge is knowing when or why to come into the office. With employees in countries like Singapore having spent almost two years successfully from home, that’s no wonder.
They key question companies will have to answer is a simple one. When people can work from anywhere, why would they come to the office? Pushing people to come in without the proper motivators will likely make employees grow resentful. It should be a delight to come in!
Survey employees to find out why they don’t want to return to the office and/or what would compel them to do so. This is the first step to making the office an attractive place to be again, even if it’s not 5 days a week.
Make visible when people can expect each other in the office. People are social creatures. One of the most compelling reasons for people to want to come in is to work alongside and with other (favorite) employees.
In fact, recent Humu research3 showed that “Building & Maintaining Relationships” is the #1 challenge of employees who are working hybrid. Use a tool like FlexOS to highlight when people’s favorite colleagues will be in, and use it to motivate their besties to follow.
Create personalized events & activities that draw people in and communicate them to the relevant team members. Avoid the trap of organizing big monthly (or even less frequent) events that resonate with almost no one. Instead, break down your total ‘employee community’ into smaller ones and create engagement opportunities for groups of like-minded employees.
Do you want to learn how some of the best companies in the world launch and manage hybrid workplaces?
Download our whitepaper Hybrid Excellence in 2023 to learn more of the hybrid work strategies adopted by top companies in the APAC region.
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