Social connection, promotion opportunities and work/life boundaries are the most cited benefits of onsite work and should be critical areas of investigation.

Consider the promise of social experience, more-spontaneous conversations and a deeper connection with teammates and other colleagues.
Explore ways to return to a "normal" workday with cleaner breaks between work and home.
Employees want both be seen and feel that they are being seen when it comes to hiring and promotions.

Provide additional support and flexibility in areas where employees may need help acclimating to the change from remote to onsite work.

Employees may miss the team spirit that flourished among remote workers during the pandemic. Remote workers surveyed since the pandemic are more likely to say their team is "collaborative" and "supportive" and less likely to say it is "gossipy" and "cliquish" than onsite workers.
Employees may prefer flexibility in work hours and location. Provide employees with the option of a hybrid schedule to ease the transition. It even may promote a new norm for work that leverages the best of both remote and onsite working. Employees with family responsibilities also may benefit from the added flexibility to attend to personal and care-related needs as their families transition to post-pandemic life.
Employees may prefer the independence of working from home. Promote regular connection and feedback with their manager (especially when onsite/in-person), yet allow the trust and independence established during remote working to continue.

Certain groups may require special attention from employers in the transition from remote to onsite work.

Recent college graduates are more likely than other groups to get lost in the shuffle of returning to an environment of more spontaneous communication onsite and perceive less of a collaborative and more of a gossipy feel on their team. Managers and companies should foster team building that is targeted to recent college graduates to ensure this group don't lose out on essential team support and mentoring.
Employees whose manager is in a different location may experience fewer improvements to communication with their manager, despite being back in the office, than employees whose manager is in the same office. Managers should continue to employ communication methods and frequency used during remote work.

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Instant Insights /

How to proceed with return-to-work planning amid the latest pandemic surge

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