While many of us are starting to move back to the office slowly, only 1% of 258 HR leaders, said all of their employees will be in the office full time, according to a new Gartner poll conducted on March 16, 2021.
It’s been a while since many of us have been in an office. “It will be critical for employers to focus on building social and emotional connections with, and between, their employees again,” said Brian Kropp, chief of research for Gartner HR practice.
Three areas to focus on
One way to do that is treat your return as a “re-onboarding” opportunity for all employees.
Gartner recommends focusing on three areas:
- Develop and share your philosophy on flexibility. Top HR departments aren’t creating static flexible work policies. Rather, they’re creating a philosophy on flexibility and sharing that with employees.
- Determine and communicate the role of your physical office space. Is it a team/company meeting place, a secure workspace or a social gathering space? Figure it out and let your workforce know.
- Train managers. Make sure your managers know how to support employees in different locations.
Info: Gartner HR Survey Finds 48% of Organizations Won’t Track Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Status