If you, like many, have relied on a remote working setup, whether it’s to get through the COVID pandemic, or simply to offer a little more flexibility, then you may be well aware of the pros and cons of remote working.
Indeed, you may have decided that you prefer to have your workers in the office. Here, we’re going to look at a few strategies you can try to do just that.
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Allow for some flexibility
A lot of workers prefer to work from home because of the flexibility it allows them, and the control it gives them over the means of their own work. Allowing some of that flexibility, whether it’s relaxing the dress code, operating with a BYOD policy, or even allowing them to spend some time at the office, and some time at home, may make them more likely to come in more often. There are advantages to working in the office that your employees are likely to want to benefit from, occasionally, after all.
Create a workplace they want to be in
If your workplace is a dismal place to spend your days, it should be no surprise that people don’t want to return to it. It might be work looking at getting some fit-out finance to give it a real makeover. Not only do you want it to be more aesthetically appealing, but you should try to make your office more comfortable, too, whether it’s by maximising natural light as best as possible, offering a good mix of shared and private spaces, and the like. The curiosity of checking the new office out might be enough to bring some in, initially.
Redefine your office culture
It’s not just the office itself that dictates the feeling of working there, it’s the culture, too. Take a look at ways to reboot your office culture, embracing things that your workers might have missed about being in the office, such as water cooler conversation and spending time in the break room. One of the main issues is that a lot of employers have simply tried to pick up business as usual, not accepting that the post-COVID work environment is a very different place and that their work culture should change as a result. Don’t get stuck in the past.
You can always order them
If your remote workers aren’t budging, regardless of what incentives you hold up in front of them, then it’s worth remembering that you can always dictate the terms of where and how they work. Taking a firm line isn’t always the best solution, and some workers may well rather look for another job that keeps them remote, but if you have real concerns about their productivity working from home, then you might have to take a firm stance.
Of course, in some cases, you might find workers unwilling to return and you may instead decide to compromise. There are plenty of ways to maximise the performance of remote workers to ensure that you’re getting the best from them, no matter where they are.
