4 ways you can make the return to the office worth it
The return-to-office saga continues! Spending more time commuting, incurring additional expenses and being away from family commitments truly raises the question for employees of whether the return is worth it.
We get it. The struggle is real when it comes to enticing employees back into the office, it’s clear with vacant buildings and return-to-office mandates coming in hard and fast. But let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves what’s it going to take to entice your team?
Well, you’re in luck because today we share 4 ways you can genuinely enhance the return-to-office experience that doesn’t just include free coffee and snacks.
4 ways you can make the return to the office worth it for your employees:
1. Prioritising Employee Wellbeing
As organisations gear up to welcome more employees back to the office, the physical and mental wellbeing of your people should top the priority list. Provide access to a spectrum of wellness initiatives, including mental health resources to support employees dealing with any personal or work-related challenges impacting their mental health. Consider regular wellness and fitness programs, and stress management workshops can act as a supportive safety net during the transition.
Remember! As we navigate the complexities of the return to the office, placing our employees’ well-being at the core isn’t just a nice-to-have but critical to its success.
2. Revamp the office
Space matters! Get employees excited about coming to the office by building an office space that is an absolute delight to come to – without all the excruciatingly bright fluorescent lights in dull conference rooms that make employees daydream about being at home.
We’re talking collaborative areas, comfortable workstations, and next-level technology integration that increases efficiency and productivity.
3. Invest in personal development, training programs and workshops
Among one of the most-wanted employee benefits, we have career and personal development. Your high-performing employees want to be challenged, to further develop their professional skills and feel supported in their career growth. Hosting in-house training, soft-skill workshops, or personal development sessions featuring mentors and guest speakers is the ultimate way to engage your staff and draw employees into the office.
4. Create an inclusive family-friendly workplace!
A whopping 65% of parents state that childcare was the reason they wanted to continue working from home [1] and 73% of working parents seek employer support with childcare as they return to the office [2]. So, where’s the much-needed support?
Leading organisations including ANZ, General Mills, Acciona and more are using KidsCo’s Workplace School Holiday Program to support their parental employees in the office and create an exceedingly family-inclusive workplace that prioritises work-life balance.
Parents can forget about scrambling to find childcare alternatives each school holiday and enjoy some in-office productivity whilst having their little legends right next door – this means family bonding time and lunch dates with the kids aren’t off the table!
Creating a family-friendly workplace promotes an exceedingly inclusive culture for all employees; regardless of whether they’re parents. At the heart of inclusivity is allowing people to feel comfortable with bringing their ‘whole self’ to work.
There’s no one size fits all so don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment!
Find out more here on how you can truly support your parental employees as they transition back to the office.
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2021/04/02/struggles-for-working-parents-are-likely-to-remain-post-pandemic/?sh=68cca3216856
[2] nbn’s Better Together report 2021
