Motivating Teams to Return to the Office: Practical Employer Strategies

As organizations seek to strike a balance between flexibility and collaboration, motivating employees to return to the office can present unique challenges.

In this blog, we'll explore three effective strategies that employers can implement to inspire and engage their teams, fostering a successful transition back into the office environment.

The Demand for Flexible Workplaces

According to research from Robert Half Talent Solutions, half of all professionals working from home would look for a more flexible job if their employer required a return to the office. That's a 16 percentage point increase over last year. The number is even higher among Millennials and working parents.

Compared to hybrid and remote employees, knowledge workers who are back in the office full-time have:

• 1.4 times more burnout
• More than twice as much work-related anxiety and stress
• 1.7 times poorer work-life balance

Yet two-thirds of senior managers want their workforce on-site as soon as possible. There can be good reasons for going back, but it doesn't have to feel forced. These three action steps can help you get your team back in their seats — without pulling teeth.

Make the Office More Inviting

To get people back in the office, it needs to be an appealing space. Don't force them back to the same old pre-Covid environment. Change it up and make it more pleasant — even if that means finding a new space.

The Flexible Office

Return-to-office is the perfect time for companies to rethink where they work. If some employees continue to work from home, even part-time, the old space might be too big. Why not save money and/or use those funds to provide extra perks?

Plus, with the business world rapidly shifting and adapting, it makes less sense for companies to commit to multi-year leases. Enter the flexible office space, an increasingly popular option in the new hybrid work era. It allows for shorter leases and incorporates amenities designed for employees, such as:

• Changing rooms
• Showers
• Bicycle racks
• Bookable meeting rooms
• Coworking space
• Fast internet

It's called the space-as-a-service model. It helps employers motivate their people to come back while also controlling costs and offering adaptability.

How Businesses benefit

Flexible space is more cost-effective for employers. They pay only for needed space while still being able to expand in times of growth.

That expansion can also be geographic. Many employees have moved during the pandemic, and luring those employees back can be tricky. With flexible office spaces in all of Australia's major cities, employers can bring their people back on-site without making them move.

Enable Flexible Work Arrangements

According to Future Forum research, 79% of knowledge workers want location flexibility. Work-from-home options go a long way toward keeping those professionals happy.

It's possible to do this without compromising productivity or team culture. One popular solution is asking workers to come into the office one or two days a week.

These "hybrid" options are even more popular than fully remote options. When given the choice, only 29% of surveyed Australian workers chose a fully remote schedule. More than half — 55% — chose a hybrid schedule.

Employees also appreciate being able to choose their in-office days. Monday and Friday are the least popular days for a commute. Only 38% and 31% of respondents said they'd be willing to come to the office on those days. The most popular day for in-office work is Wednesday at 65%, with Tuesday and Thursday coming in as close seconds.

The takeaway?

A three-day "weekend" at home makes people much friendlier to mid-week commutes.

Organize Weekly Group Events

Having one or two whole-team office days a week can help with the in-and-out effect — the disconnection that happens when teams work at home on different days.

To encourage people to come in on those days, organize weekly fun events like:

• Free coffee Wednesday
• Taco lunch Tuesday
• Ice cream afternoon

There are endless possibilities, so get creative and start brainstorming. This is your opportunity to show employees that returning to the office doesn't have to be a chore. You can even run the occasional after-work outing. There are plenty of fun options that are also team-building opportunities, including:

• Escape rooms
• Cooking classes
• Bar trivia
• Paint night

Not sure what will be enticing for your teams? Ask them. They'll appreciate having a say, and you won't waste time and money on incentives that don't work.

Flexible Space, Happier Teams

Today's employees need flexibility and understanding from their managers. The more a company lives these values, the better prepared they are to attract and retain top talent. A flexible workspace is a great way to show that commitment.