ROLAND INNES | Back to office for employees good for business

Many companies have been summoning their employees back to the office after spending most of the past two years working remotely or in a hybrid environment. Understandably, there is some reluctance to make this shift, as working remotely has changed many people’s lives, giving them more flexibility to spend time with family while saving money on fuel or daycare costs.

So why should employees come back to the office? Because there really is no substitute for face-to-face personal interactions in business, particularly in Africa. As people return, it will become increasingly important to reintegrate them through training and upskilling to equip them to make the most of the transition into a post-Covid business world.

Employees are resistant to return, and according to a study by McKinsey, 29% of people say they are likely to look for a new job if their employer required them to work exclusively on-site.

Coming back to the office is not just for the benefit of employers – there are benefits for employees too. Reconnecting with team members fulfils one of the most important basic human needs – the need for socialisation. In the office, people feel more connected to each other and the company culture. It is challenging to facilitate collaboration and boost employee satisfaction when some people are in the office, while others are still working from home.

Being physically in the office provides a critical opportunity for networking, forming connections and engaging with others in the company. It’s tough for entry-level employees to feel welcomed into the office culture if remote work continues. Even with video meetings, socialisation still suffers. Furthermore, having people physically present exposes them to informal learning opportunities, which helps to facilitate individual skills transfer and growth.

We learn better when we are working and interacting with others and it’s easier to reach out for help when necessary. Workers also have the opportunity to be more visible to leadership, something that is much harder to achieve working remotely. All of this contributes to an individual’s ability to advance their career prospects. Working from home might be more attractive in the short term, but how will this contribute to a five- or 10-year career plan?

Physically working together also helps people to feel more in tune with what’s happening in the business, while giving them access to a better workspace set-up. Whether it’s better connectivity or physical resources, a return can also facilitate a better balance between work and personal life. It improves general well-being, as getting dressed and having in-person conversations can help support mental and physical welfare.

So how can businesses facilitate the return? It all boils down to fairness. Whether a company chooses a continued hybrid model or a full-time return, it is essential that employees consider it to be fair.

It must be negotiated with employees, and they must be given the chance to have their say on the working model. The right kind of leadership is also essential. Leadership is the glue that holds everything together, and with the right training and skills development, leaders can get their people re-energised and feeling positive about returning.

Specific training to equip leaders with the right skills to facilitate the return is essential. Navigating issues of fairness and helping people to deal with the challenges of daily work life will not be easy. There is no one-size-fits-all approach that will ensure that the chosen working model is successful.

This makes it critical to ensure that leaders have the necessary tools to treat their people with the empathy and grace required to ensure that productivity can be achieved, along with sufficient levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

Innes is MD at Dyna Training