To Return or Not to Return - What will your company do?

Everyone’s talking about it but only a small percentage of businesses have definitively decided what tomorrow’s work environment will look like. Will you return your employees to the office on a full-time basis? Provide indefinite work-from-home options? Engage in a hybrid model? While it may seem like a day-in-the-life-of-a-business-owner decision; you may want to think carefully before making your decision!

When you’re conducting research, you will see multitudes of survey results, articles and recommendations as to what you should do and when you should do it. You will find references to health concerns, parenting challenges, commute time drains, fatigue caused by days that are frankly, too long, and employees who firmly believe they are more productive in their remote location. Let’s face it. There is no right or wrong answer. No matter what you decide, someone is not going to be happy. Unless, (gasp!) you actually ask your employee and provide options for their consideration and choosing. That’s right, we’re suggesting that you empower your employees to do what’s best for them as individuals.

As you comb through the available resources to help you in your decision about the future of your work environment, you will find that one thing remains consistent. Employees want (and need!) flexibility. Why shouldn’t you be the progressive employer who provides that flexibility and become an employer of choice? With preparation, planning and a defined strategy, you can make that happen.

Years before Covid-19 shook us to our core, predictions of a remote work force were in play. The dotcom tech bubble hit in the late 1990s and it was a hot topic even then. As each year has passed, the percentage of work-from-home professionals has grown. When our workforce returned home to work remotely after the pandemic shut us down, we were certain it would negatively impact productivity and our businesses. Although employees are saying their job is more difficult at times and they had to learn to do it differently, those employers who practiced active employee engagement methodologies have benefitted the most from their employees’ continued productivity. With approximately 58% of working adults fulfilling their job responsibilities remotely, at least part of the time (reported from a Gallup poll on March 17, 2021), the necessity to rethink our employment engagement strategies is more important than ever. Gallup also found there are three (3) necessary key employer actions – good communication (from both the employer and the manager), prioritization of well-being and trust. (Reference https://news.gallup.com/poll/339824/pandemic-affected-work-life.aspx )

Now what? Great question! And it will come as no surprise, there is no one answer. Forbes reported in March of 2019 that leadership development is a $366 billion industry. $366 billion. So, are we suggesting you jump in that voracious pool and start spending? Not so fast! Remember, we’re talking about how you will decide where your workforce will reside. So why bring up leadership development?

Your mid-level managers are as exhausted as everyone else after navigating the last 16 months. Maybe even more so than the rest of us. They have gone above and beyond to manage an ever-changing workplace, and yes, ever-changing team members. Their training to date, did not prepare them for the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Your managers have stood by your company and the workforce, while likely paying little attention to their own mental health and physical well-being. It’s time to pay attention to them. They are your future. Investing in their well-being, trusting them to provide input into what the future might look like and communicating regularly and transparently with your leaders, will help guide you toward the right decisions for your business.

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to a leadership development program, employee engagement or whether employees will work in-office, remotely or a hybrid. But they all impact the other and need to be considered holistically. You must determine what you want to represent in your business and as an employer of choice; and, design a customized plan to deliver on those objectives. Part of your plan involves determining what your employees want and need from you. It involves training your management team to bridge the company objectives with the wants/needs of the employees. It requires you to take a step back and either pull up your business plan to review and revise; or, if you’ve never had a business plan, now’s the time to engage with our professionals to develop yours!

As Warren Buffett said, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”