It’s return to the office season — and we have the good, bad and ugly of it.
Almost 90% of businesses expect a return to the office by the end of 2024, a Resume Builder survey found. More than 50% of companies are already back, and the other 40-so% are on it like a Back To School Night.
Some companies and its leaders are all for it.
“Organizations can emphasize the advantages of working on-site, such as increased networking opportunities, relationship building, collaboration and career growth,” says Denise Dahlhoff, PhD, Senior Researcher, Consumer Research at The Conference Board.
Meanwhile, many aren’t all that into a full-on return to office (RTO).
“Permanent presence to ‘prove’ you’re working is an outmoded notion that is losing relevance,” says Cameron Yarbrough, Co-Founder and CEO of Torch.
Of course, reasons vary on both sides of the debate — and we’re not here to debate the matter. Our job at HRMorning is to equip our readers with tips and tools to navigate the situations they face.
No one size for return to the office
“It’s important to note that, when it comes to RTO, one size does not fit all,” says Resume Builder’s Chief Career Advisor Stacie Haller. “The majority of business leaders who plan to RTO in 2024 seem to understand that.
“The end of 2024 is still a long way away, and the job market is constantly changing. It remains to be seen if businesses will follow through on their RTO plans,” she continues.
But, still, the majority of employees are part of a return-to-the-office movement — and the pace has quickened.
Whether you’re all in already, or still amping up, you’ll want to know what’s great and not-so-great about a return to the office — and possibly outdual the bad stuff with great counter-measures.
Here’s what’s working so far, plus what’s not — and how people are making the best of what they believed was the worst situation.
What’s working
Working in the office has inevitably changed since the pandemic. People’s expectations for the workplace were forever altered by, first, the mandates to go home and work. Then, their generally positive work-from-experiences created a whole new perspective on what work should be.
Now, this is what’s appealing and working in the office (and what you’ll want to maximize):
- Collaboration. Impromptu meetings on a pressing topic usually garner better results than formal ones with rambling agendas. Employees in the same building have an easier time bouncing ideas off each other than when coordinating on Zoom. In-person operations breed stronger collaboration.
- Learning. Similarily, people have more opportunities to learn from colleagues while in the office. This is especially true for new employees who are learning to navigate the tactical aspects of a job and informal protocols of a company. Plus, informal mentorships are usually born in the office.
- Flexibility. Most offices still don’t require the five-day-a-week return to office. More than 55% of employees do some degree of hybrid work, according to a Conference Board survey. And many of those who are in the office have found their organizations and bosses are more flexible with how and when they accomplish goals, often allowing for flexible hours to handle life demands.
- Office atmosphere. Kudos to the many companies who’ve made coming back to work worth it. Some have improved office space, creating more open, green areas for collaboration and socialization. Others have enhanced services to make coming in easier — such as dry cleaning pick up and delivery, food services and car cleaning.
- Culture. Company culture took a hit during the pandemic when people weren’t together to continue traditions and feed into missions like they once did. Now, companies are redefining their cultures, leaning deeper into employees’ needs, corporate evolution and a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
What needs work
Of course, a return to the office isn’t exactly a panacea. Even before the pandemic, being in the office was not a cure for all company ills.
“By insisting on a five-day-a-week office commitment, these old-style leaders are ignoring the downside of returning to the office: increased commute time, work/life balance issues, loss of inclusivity and economic impact,” says Yarbrough.
Here’s what’s not ideal in a return to the office.
- The commute. Other than my daughter, who claimed she could catch up on phone calls when threatened with a return to the office, I haven’t heard anyone applauding a commute. For the most part, people don’t want to lose the free time they gained from not commuting. So it’s the most dreaded part of a return to office.
- The balance. With the commute eating into personal time again, some employees are disappointed in their work/life balance. They’re struggling again to handle work demands and home obligations, child- and/or adult-care and their personal well-being.
- Equal ground. While working from home, everyone was on equal, visible ground. With some back in the office all the time, some part of the time and others still at home, some employees feel a shift in visibility. Some don’t feel heard, seen or recognized as others who are on site more.
- Diversity. Many organizations found they could hire and retain a more diverse population when employees could come from a variety of geographies and backgrounds. With a singular work location, many companies have again limited the diversity of workforce available to recruit.
- Income. Employees who have or will have to return to the office have complained that it’ll put a dent in their income. They’ll pick up new — or regain old, rising — costs to commute, dress appropriately and eat out more often.
What makes RTO better
It’s not all gloom and doom. Many companies added benefits to help employees make a return to the office work better. The Resume Builder survey found:
- 72% of business leaders will offer commuter benefits
- 57% will offer childcare benefits
- 64% will provide catered meals, and
- 40% will give raises.
Plus, many employees have found personal ways to make the return to the office worthwhile — taking the Treat Yo Self! approach (like Donna and Tom’s annual tradition on Parks and Recreation).
Some ideas we’ve seen and loved:
- Make it comfy. One employee, sharing in the Wall Street Journal’s 10-Point, said he bought himself a new-wave desk chair. It “wasn’t cheap, but I look forward to sitting in it when I go to the office!” he quipped in his response.
- Be original. One LinkedIn employee took his favorite comfy work-from-home t-shirts to a new level, having them sewn into one-of-a-kind button downs appropriate for the office.
- Dress up. Others new to the office have splurged — after spending nearly nothing on a work wardrobe the last few years — on tailored pieces to update classic work essentials.
- Get techy. Still, others rewarded themselves with technology they considered a great investment for the office — such as noise cancelling headphones, more comfortable keyboards and a turntable with vintage records that allow colleagues to peruse, choose and jam!
- Enjoy a delicacy. We heard from and read about employees who’ve turned their commute into a pleasure by getting a favority delicacy and breakfast beverage along the way. Others treat themselves to a special lunch or time with long-since-seen colleagues once a week.
“A well-structured and supportive work environment that fosters productivity, collaboration and engagement, regardless of the physical workspace, is also a must-have right now,” says Yarbrough. “This will all deliver greater organizational effectiveness. Wherever you end up as a culture when it comes to RTO, you need to bring your people with you.”