You may have heard the term “office peacocking” in the past when referring to an employee who makes an exaggerated effort to stand out. Now, the term is used for employers who want to lure their employees back to the workplace. Some businesses are dressing up their offices with all the bells and whistles, such as fully stocked kitchens, fashionable furniture, quiet zones, new collaboration stations, and on-site health and fitness benefits.
While there is nothing wrong with new and attractive in-office benefits, employers must align the workspace with employees’ evolving needs and expectations. Matching an aesthetically pleasing workspace with a more supportive leadership and manager-led environment may be the secret ingredients.
Savvy business leaders can find a happy medium between office peacocking and a severe pivot from fully remote to fully in-office.
Communicate the Value
Long before business leaders establish a return-to-office schedule, they must determine the business value it will bring to the organization by having team members back in the office. Establishing a compelling “why” in-office work is paramount to any return-to-the-office initiative is the first step. Communicating that it spurs on better collaboration may be true, but it is not a compelling why. Communicating the value of collaboration, such as leading to better innovation, fostering more spur-of-the-moment ideas or allowing the company to meet tighter client deadlines, creates employee buy-in, which is crucial to success.
Underlining the value of the return to the office is leadership’s presence. Leadership and management in the office models the behavior, plus it showcases how in-person work is a valuable part of the company’s culture.
Provide a Flexible Work Environment
A drastic switch from remote to completely in-person work could cause an uproar and damage the corporate culture. Leaders should consider alternatives before making a complete switch, which does not have to involve an office makeover. The appeal of remote work is its flexibility. Many employees have now worked years remotely so it could be a major disruption to their schedules.
Hybrid work may be the solution needed with certain teams that work together by establishing core days or a split-week model, which either identifies specific days when employees must attend in the office or come to the office a set number of days at their discretion. These models may not work for every business or team. A split-week schedule allows for individual flexibility, but it may not guarantee they interact with their teammates. Conversely, core days may not give employees the flexibility they need or want. However, there are a variety of ways hybrid scheduling can occur. The bottom line is it is important to be transparent with your employees and encourage feedback throughout the process – listening and action upon it – to encourage buy-in. Eventually, you will land on a version that will work for most.
Create a Desirable Workspace
There is nothing wrong with creating a work environment where people enjoy spending their time. A level of “office peacocking” is great and helps build excitement about collaborating in-person and strengthening the company culture. This can take the form of remodeled spaces and wellness amenities, but it can also be team building events, office lunches, new mentorship programs and in-person upskilling opportunities.
A desirable work environment does not have to be expensive. Team building and learning and development opportunities occurred before the pandemic and while remote, but it can be taken to a new level with increased excitement to learn from colleagues’ eye-to-eye.
Returning to the office does not mean you have to lure employees in. Transparent communication, including two-way communication, works wonders. Clear expectations for the return, communicating the value to the entire organization, incorporating flexibility and making the return an attractive, collaborative experience should make it a smooth experience.
Niki Jorgensen is a managing director of client implementation with Insperity, a leading provider of human resources and business performance solutions. For more information about Insperity, visit www.insperity.com.