3 Successful Return to Work Strategies

Many companies are eager for employees to return to work. But are employees as eager on going back? 

A new breed of workers has emerged. According to Bloomberg, 39% of employees would prefer leaving the job rather than going back full-time into the office. The strategies your company adopts at this transition time are crucial in retaining top talent. 

Below is a brief synopsis tackling key return to work strategies your business can adopt. But first, you will need a team. 

Appoint a Return to Work Planning Team 

The team should comprise of members from the executive, HR, and various department heads to ensure balanced representation. 

Consulting an external advisor is also a good idea regarding government policy on pandemic measures. They will be responsible for developing, implementing, communicating, updating, and addressing concerns with the plan. 

As your team formulates return to work strategies, they must be flexible because if there is anything we have learned, we are not going back to pre-Covid times. The new normal looks very different, and you may have to accommodate employee needs or risk losing your top talent. 

The return to work team will also evaluate the process continuously and deal with issues as they arise. 

Successful Return to Work Strategies

While you did not choose when the economy switched from office to remote work, returning to work is not a blanket decision for every organization. Your team has to develop a plan that suits your employees and the company. 

Return to Work Strategy # 1: Prepare the workplace for employee return 

As you prepare for employees to come back to the office, Covid-19 protocols should be in place to ensure their safety. Most employees are not willing to return to the densely packed open offices for fear of viral spread. Office space will have to be redesigned to align with social distancing measures. 

You can use conference halls and dining areas to prepare additional seating areas. Hygiene is another area you should be prepared for. Install sanitizer dispensers and place handwashing stations throughout the office. 

In addition, ensure you prepare to screen all employees when they come back. You can partner with external service providers who will provide all the necessary equipment. 

Return to Work Strategy # 2: Support and recognize individual needs 

As you implement your re-entry strategies, you must understand every member of your staff will experience the new normal differently. Also, the fears they each face are different, and the transition may be more difficult for some than others. 

Do everything you can to diminish their fears while encouraging them to be open about their feelings regarding their return to work. By responding to their concerns, you show the workers that you care about them. 

Return to Work Strategy # 3: Be flexible about your return to work plan 

The pandemic has shown that people can successfully work from home. Surveys show divided opinions on returning to work full time, remaining remote, or adopting a hybrid environment. But the truth is, companies would be making a massive mistake if they were to force people into the office full-time. 

Flexible working plans are no longer about employee needs but a necessity of the new normal. Having worked from home for so long, some workers are not about to let go of the freedom and privacy of working from home. 

Some say the future of work is a hybrid workforce. Your organization should recognize this and adapt to it and other possibilities. 

A Gallup report indicates that engagement increased when companies went remote during the pandemic, according to 150 CHROs. Also, in a report by Vodafone, 75% of businesses witnessed high performance from the employees after introducing a flexible working concept.

Partner With Crosschq to empower your return to work strategies

As you navigate return to work strategies, invest in the best talent acquisition software to help you recruit and retain the best talent. Crosschq’s Talent Intelligence Cloud Platform has you covered to help you source effortlessly with Recruit, a candidate referral network, 360, digital reference checks, and Analytics for a robust recruitment strategy to help ease the transition back to the office.  To learn more about Crosschq products, please contact us to schedule a demo.