The project: "Creating a return to office plan with a distributed workforce"

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The summary: The leadership of the organization wanted employees back in the office, however, during the pandemic, they hired over 60% of their employees remotely and allowed some to move further than a commute to an office. So, we were tasked to create a "return" for a employees who are remote, essential (role requires 100% in-office), and hybrid (which we've found means vastly different things to different people!).

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The challenge: This organization was not on the bleeding edge of the return to office wave. So, we had the benefit of observing what other companies were doing and learn about how it was going. But there is no silver bullet. Culture matters.

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How often does an employee need to come in to be considered "hybrid?" Is there consensus amongst leaders and managers? Different rules have always applied for different departments, but if this is a company-wide mandate, how are we talking about that difference? Are we dividing instead of building cohesion? 

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If an employee moved 100 miles away from an office, are they now considered "remote" (a distinction that should be recorded) or will they be required to come in too? If you want employees to commute to the office, how do the employees you hired as remote connect in? Are they required to move near a physical location? Are they required to come to the headquarters a few times a year? Who pays for that? Did you offer benefits during the pandemic that need to be sunset (home office stipend, etc.)?

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Do you have the right technology in place to connect employees, no matter where they are to be not only productive, but connected to their teams, their larger departments, and they company itself? 

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A deep dive of talent acquisition processes, per employee costs, financials, total rewards, was needed, but also, the sentiment of the employees and the leadership. Will leadership be leading by example? How will be both optimize the in-office experience - what we call the is it worth "putting pants on" factor - and the days when employees are not in the office. Will you adopt "core hours," "time zone-agnostic decision-making," "new talent acquisition standards," etc.?

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Conclusion: The rules, processes, and standards you make will directly impact your company culture and decision making, moving forward. So, a broad look at what impacts employees, both physically and digitally, from the beginning of the hiring process throughout their relationship with the organization, and how the organization makes decisions that are inclusive, informed, and have empathy, will directly speak to how employees, leadership, and ultimately customers feel about the company.