5 Ways Businesses Are Getting Employees Back to The Office

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many organizations and businesses were forced to restructure their working arrangements. There was an urgent need to embrace a work-from-home model, where employees primarily relied on modern technologies and tools to execute their roles. 

But with the decrease in infection rates, inter-person safety improved, and companies saw the need to bring back offices. The problem is, many employees have gotten used to working from home and find it challenging to get back to the office. That means to succeed in getting your employees back to on-premise operations, you'll need to do more than just offer them a paycheck or corner office. 

Here are 5 creative and effective ways that business owners are getting employees back to the office:

1. Offer Flexible Work Hours

One of the most common reasons people choose to work remotely is that they prefer flexible hours. That means they can pick up or drop off their kids at school, take care of personal errands during non-work hours, or even go for a run after work. But flexible work hours will be critical if you want to get your employees back to the office.

You can start by offering some flexibility to your current workforce. For example, you could allow employees to come into the office twice a week instead of five. Or maybe you could let them work from home one day per week instead of three. After all, research shows that as much as employees want to maintain remote work, they also expect to work on-premise for most of their workweek. This way, you won't lose any productivity, but you'll also give your employees time to decompress and recharge.

2. Create a Culture of Collaboration

If you want to get your team members back to the office, you should create a culture of collaboration. In other words, you must ensure everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. You can do this by:

• Creating a space where employees feel safe to share their thoughts and concerns. It might mean setting aside a room dedicated to brainstorming sessions or providing a quiet spot where employees can discuss sensitive topics without fear of being overheard.

• Providing ample opportunities for employees to collaborate. For example, you can set up regular meetings via video conferencing software or host happy hours so employees can connect over drinks and snacks.

• Offering rewards and incentives for collaboration. For instance, you can reward employees who share their expertise with others by giving them extra vacation days or even gift cards for coffee shops.

3. Provide Training and Personal Development Opportunities

Today's workforce values intrinsic motivations like autonomy, mastery, and purpose. And while these types of motivations aren't necessarily tied to an employer, they're important nonetheless. If you want to get your workers back to the office, ensure they have access to training and development opportunities that help them grow professionally. Here are some examples of how you can provide this type of support:

• Create learning communities. These groups are designed to foster peer relationships among employees. They often include activities such as group discussions, roundtable presentations, and social outings.

• Offer career coaching. Career coaches can help employees identify what skills they lack to advance within their company.

• Host workshops. Workshops can teach employees new skills related to leadership, communication, project management, and more.

4. Make Work Visible

One of the biggest reasons people don't return to the office is that they don't know when or if they'll be needed again. To combat this problem, ensure your business has clear visibility into its operations. That means having systems that enable managers to see which projects are currently underway, which are completed, and which are still in progress.

Also, ensure you have a system that allows employees to view their schedules. The goal here isn't just to keep track of employee availability; it's also to ensure that no one ever misses out on a promotion because they didn't realize there was a meeting scheduled at 10 am. 

Other creative means to make work more visible include:

• Creating a calendar that lists upcoming events. This way, employees can plan well in advance and avoid scheduling conflicts.

• Ensuring that all team members receive email updates about upcoming deadlines.

• Providing volunteer and learning opportunities that allow employees to contribute to the community.

5. Offer World-Class, Wellness-Focused Amenities

The last thing you want is your employees to feel like they're working in a sweatshop. So, make sure you offer amenities that encourage wellness and productivity. Some excellent ideas include:

• Water Purification and Filtering System. Water, they say, is life. And a hydrated workforce is a productive workforce. But more importantly, do your offices have access to clean water available throughout the day? Investing in a water purification and filtration system like Natura Water Dispenser ensures that your employees always have access to chilled sparkling and fresh drinking water.

• Wellness Centers. Many companies are now offering wellness centers where employees can go to relax after a long day of work. These centers typically feature massage chairs, saunas, steam rooms, and other relaxing spaces.

• Gym Memberships. A gym membership is an incredible perk for any worker. It provides physical exercise and gives employees time away from their desks to think creatively.

• Ergonomic Desks. Ergonomics refers to the science of designing products and environments so that workers can perform their jobs without causing injury. By investing in ergonomic desk solutions, you can reduce injuries and improve overall health. Consequently, this encourages employees to work in the office more often.

Conclusion

If you want to get your employees back to the office, you must go all out to help them get there. Start with these five tips and watch as your company becomes more efficient and profitable. To recap, ensure you offer flexible working hours, provide ample breaks, create an environment that fosters creativity, offer world-class amenities, and make work visible.

If you're in the market for top-quality water purity and filtration system to keep your in-house workforce refreshed and healthy, Natura Water has got you covered. For over 15 years, we have provided our customers with triple-filtered sparkling water dispensers that produce the purest, arctic-chilled carbonated water possible. We understand the importance of keeping your workforce well-hydrated and focused, so we designed our water purifiers to be easy to use, affordable, and reliable.

To learn more about our water purification systems, please contact us online or schedule a meeting today!