What’s really behind your desire to ‘get back to the office’?
Photo by Laura Davidson on Unsplash
Why bringing people back for the right reasons is the key to strengthening workplace culture
So we’ve clicked over into 2022. It’s a shame we don’t have the ritual of a new office calendar any more. There was some pleasure in physically taking down the previous year’s one and replacing it with something fresh. Perhaps fittingly, it looks like 2022 might feel rather like 2021 anyway, as we continue living in the same uncertainty we’ve grown accustomed to. And for many it’s not just the office calendar that feels like ancient history, it’s the whole office…
Businesses are being asked to ensure the economy thrives no matter what the next 12 months bring. It's not going to be easy. Your workforce is exhausted. Your supply chain is in chaos. Your customers are disappointed with product delays. Your staff are depleted due to illness and burnout. That is, if they haven’t signed up to the Great Resignation and left you entirely. And you’re torn between suggesting people get a jab or threatening their jobs.
Getting people back to business is every leaders’ New Year’s resolution. And for most that nagging question remains - when are we going back to the office?
Some businesses have extended their work-from-home permissions for now, with hopes of getting people back to HQ in the near future. Others in the US are backing the Biden administration’s request for employers to enforce a vaccine mandate - including Citigroup, which announced it will follow through with its commitment to let go of staff who are not fully vaccinated by the end of January. No jab, no job. Their competitors, like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, have chosen not to be as strict, allowing employees to remain unvaccinated as long as they don’t come into the office. While some Citigroup employees have applauded the decision, happy that the firm is keeping them safe, so far 10% have refused to comply.
What has driven Citigroup’s managers to enforce their policy while rivals offer more flexibility and choice? Is it about control - or about showing they care?
How we deal with change in the workplace is a reflection of our culture and values. The policies and expectations we set reinforce the promises of our employee experience.
Workplace culture, meet reopening plans
Do we really need to go back to the office? It depends on our workplace culture. Because the stats on productivity and remote work are pretty clear:
Perhaps corralling teams to physical locations is an attempt to create a feeling of progress. When we can all sit at desks in rows again, we will finally be free of the last two years.
What we have not been hearing from businesses is why they want people back. So we’ve been asking.
In discussions with our clients around the world about their intention to bring people back, we’ve heard about what keeps CEOs and founders up at night. While some feel they have a strong rationale for mandating a return, most are struggling to engage and get traction with teams. Those that have reopened the office don’t see people enthusiastic about coming back. Talent teams are reporting that candidates are expecting more flexibility about where they work. And, with variants raging and cases soaring, some employees don’t feel comfortable commuting and being around others, vaccinated or not.
We’re seeing a correlation between the business case for a return to the office and the four focus areas of our EX framework. And we feel it's time to stop insisting people return to the office, and start having conversations about what people want the experience of work to be like. Let’s turn the new year into a new opportunity to create an employee experience that works for everyone. And let’s make sure that’s not based on outdated myths about office working. Here’s how.
Intention: Getting back to working the way we used to
Myth: More control over how things get done pays off
Truth: People expect choice around when, where and how they work
Most leaders will admit that it is easier to manage people who are physically present in familiar surroundings. The shift to remote working during lockdown was difficult, and hybrid is even more challenging.
Though remote working offered new opportunities for growth - including hiring folks outside urban centers and offering employees the ability to work from anywhere - leaders who long for the good old days are looking to return to a time when they could maintain an element of control in how things got done. The comfort of seeing a busy, buzzing office has been lost to a calendar full of online meetings.
The promises you make around FLEXIBILITY in your EX are not only going to make you a more attractive employer to a broader range of talent, they will allow you to tailor working life to the personal needs of your teams. Plus, people now expect some level of choice around when, where and how they work.
Defining and communicating the role of the office is also important. Our client Stok has a “Work from Wherever” policy that enables Stokers to, well, do just that. It came into force at the start of the pandemic as a reinforcement of Stok’s core value of “Autonomy”. The policy clearly communicates that their offices are available for collaboration - and that safety protocols are in place. There’s now a process for people to make their remote situation permanent, ensure that wherever they are, they are set up for success and treated equitably.
Intention: Protecting the culture so that it doesn’t get lost
Myth: The office is where connection happens and culture lives
Truth: Having everyone in one place doesn’t mean everyone’s included
Whether you’re on mute, camera on or camera off, Zoom, Teams and Hangouts have had a massive impact on how we work together.
While culture is how we do things, for many companies the working environment has been a cultural crutch, with spaces designed to make work more fun. Leaders who want to protect their culture fear that losing the office means losing the glue that binds teams together.
It doesn’t.
The promises you make around CONNECTION in your EX demonstrate how you encourage belonging. Having everyone in one place does not mean people feel included. It’s the rituals you create as part of your culture that bring people closer.
At Within we have always been a remote-first business, with teams all around the world. We make a commitment to each other to show up to rituals, but we do so because we value working in partnership with each other, and know that we are stronger when we focus on inclusion and belonging. Reinforcing why your rituals contribute to collective growth is important, whether you have an office or not.
Intention: Taking care of people is our responsibility
Myth: It’s easier to keep people safe if they’re in the office
Truth: Taking care of people starts with your values and principles
For some leaders, imposing a vaccine mandate isn’t just about bringing people into an office, it’s about keeping them healthy and well. Vaccinated folks are less likely to fall ill, and lead to less community spread across operations. United Airlines suffered the loss of one employee a week due to Covid through the pandemic; this has dropped to zero deaths across their workforce in the last 8 weeks as a result of their mandate.
But the reality of ‘whose responsibility is it to keep people safe’ is of course more complex. For instance Starbucks just revoked their vaccine mandate, and the Supreme Court just quashed the Biden administration's attempt to obligate businesses of over 100 people to get their employees vaccinated. Whether they are legally bound to or not, plenty of leaders feel a responsibility to protect and care for their people - and for many that feels easier if those people are in the controlled environment of an office than out in the world.
If that kind of care is in your DNA, it shouldn’t hinge on a decision about office space, but be explicit in your values and principles. For example, Amy’s Kitchen’s value “Take care of each other” sets the expectation that they will look after their employees, and that shows in the way they go above and beyond in the health care they offer their people. This was further demonstrated when Amy’s brought vaccines to their employees as soon as they were publicly available, rather than asking employees to take time off to get vaccinated. They went out of their way to ensure equitable vaccine access to everyone in their offices and kitchens.
The promises you make around GROWING in your EX reflect how you feel not only about personal development, but also about balance and well-being. Leaders who put the well-being of their people first will be able to communicate authentically that no matter what, health and safety is more important than the short-term financial success of the business.
Intention: Get people performing to make up for lost time
Myth: The office gets people performing
Truth: Working in ways that inspire them gets people performing
While people off sick have been costing businesses - whole Tube lines closed in London, restaurants shut over the holiday period, and flights cancelled across the US - some leaders we spoke to want to ensure that their people are fit so the business can be productive and recover from the disruption of the last two years. They want teams collaborating faster and delivering more than ever before.
Out of the four themes, this one is perhaps the most difficult for leaders to communicate. How do you explain to a languishing workforce that 2022 is about giving 110%? At a time when people are leaving jobs in the millions every month, is it wise for leaders to ask for even more from their people? As the Great Resignation becomes the Great Renegotiation, recognizing people for their value is critical.
The promises you make around REWARDING in your EX demonstrate how you see the value your people bring to driving growth. Offering people the choice to create impact that is more meaningful to them is more important than perks and pay packages. If this year requires more stretch, it’s critical to clearly communicate how each individual can make a contribution, and show how collaborating effectively as a team is essential. If being in the office to get things done is essential to that success, get folks onboard by asking them how it can be done in a way that inspires them to do their best work.
What’s clear now is that the “office” is no longer just a physical working environment. It’s a reflection of how you see culture driving growth. Whatever the intention behind your reason for getting people back to the office, reinforcing the rationale with explicit promises in your employee experience strategy will help you to communicate what matters most and what is expected in your culture.
Here are some questions you can work through:
What is our intention for bringing people back to the office?
What are we afraid of losing if people don’t come back?
What kind of experience are we trying to create with employees in our culture?
What promises do we make to reinforce that experience?
The new year offers a fresh chance to create a stronger workplace culture. Who knows what the next 12 months might bring?