O Gartner, a world leader in research and advice for companies, highlights that impositions for mandatory return to offices on the part of companies can negatively impact productivity, intention to stay in employment and employee performance. In addition to adopting return policies in a strategic and transparent manner, institutions must encourage employees to successfully return to the office through three strategies: aligning purpose with the location, motivating with transparency, and making inclusion fundamental.
Credit: Gartner website
For Neal Woolrich, Director of Gartner's Human Resources Practice, “return to office mandates can feel like a reversal in flexibility, autonomy and well-being of employees when they lack meaning and reason, which contrasts sharply with the more human-centered corporate purpose that many companies have turned toward.”
“Companies have tried to lure people back to the office with free meals, in-office benefits or flexible work hours, but these gestures are not enough. Instead, employers should leverage the best parts of the office experience and evolve the space from a place anchored to work to one centered on people and how they feel when they enter an office.”
For Gartner, the three strategies below should be followed to announce the return to the office:
Align Purpose with Location: The search Global Talent Monitor (GTM) from Gartner during Q3 2023 reveals that employees consider location as the number one priority when looking for a new job. The biggest hurdle employers face with return-to-office mandates is justifying why being in the office is important when work doesn't change. “We keep hearing that most employees feel more productive working from home, so the lack of rational reasoning provided by so many companies in requiring employees to return to the office is disconcerting,” says Woolrich. Additionally, 48% of the 3,493 employees interviewed believe that office policies prioritize what employees leaders want rather than what employees need, according to Gartner research that recommends creating a professional environment guided by purpose and a clear understanding of how tasks performed in the office complement those performed remotely.
Motivate with Transparency, not Mandates: According to research, more than 50% of employees choose not to go to the office because they do not see a sense or improvement in productivity. Instead of mandating a return to the office, companies need to motivate employees with open and honest communication to encourage physical presence in the workplace to avoid a trust deficit between employees and their companies. “Leaders need to respect their employees enough to share the true reasons behind their policies,” says Woolrich. “It is important to provide a clear and valid rationale to help professionals motivate change so they can understand why decisions are being made.”
Making Inclusion Fundamental: The Global Talent Monitor survey reveals that survey employees' sentiment toward Workplace culture and inclusion continued to decline, despite companies’ efforts to highlight diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The on-site presence mandate for everyone may seem like it creates a more equitable environment, but research reveals that remote workers experience 10% more inclusion than in-person workers. This is partly because they feel more authentic in a remote environment, where they have privacy and control over their workspace.
Gartner recommends building an inclusive work environment that meets employees' emotional and physical needs to help them feel connected when they're in the office. This will result in huge benefits for talent and the business in terms of greater engagement, performance and intention to stay. “Moving away from the prevailing office mindset of uniformity and conformity is key,” says Woolrich. “Companies must provide an employee-centric workspace so employees feel comfortable and as connected as they are at home. This requires understanding and empathizing with employees’ unique situations and asking what’s working, what’s not, and what can be done differently.”
Gartner Human Resources research and practices bring together best-of-breed, relevant content approaches to provide individual decision makers with strategic advice on the critical priorities that are part of the HR function. Additional information is available at http://www.gartner.com/en/
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