The past few years we’ve seen a revolution in the digital workspace and remote work has become standard for many businesses. Most work that can be done from a computer can be done from home, and for employees, it is often considered a significant perk. However, there is a lot to say about returning to the office and working on-site.
Many offices prefer the completely in-office approach, while others offer a hybrid model. However, implementing a Return to Office (RTO) order can sometimes cause rifts, especially with top talent who value having flexibility.
You can introduce this order in a way that offers enough perks that you won't have to worry that your key contributors will turn over and look for new remote opportunities. In this blog post, we'll explore how to bring these orders to your workers while minimizing the risk of losing key performers.
Why Would Top Talent Return to the Workplace?
In early 2020, workplaces around the world shifted rapidly to remote work. At first, this sudden change disrupted productivity and created workplace friction as people adjusted to new challenges and uncertainties.
However, as humans are known to do, resilience took over, and the world adopted the model and began to make it work. According to a 2024 survey, global employees report feeling more productive when working remotely (84%). This was particularly noted in younger employees between the ages of 18 to 34. About two-thirds of company leaders have since adopted some form of hybrid work model, while others have taken their operations fully online. Projecting forward, 75% of leaders have anticipated their workplace models to be more flexible in the next couple of years.
Despite this, however, more businesses are initiating RTO mandates.
Exploring Potential Outcomes of RTO
Listen, RTOs can have a lot of positive outcomes, but this depends largely on how they're implemented. There are several possible responses from employees in terms of outcomes. Let's explore the subject deeper.
One of the best things about getting back into the office is the ability to improve teamwork and increase morale amongst employees. This allows them to work together, share ideas, and talk with each other in real time, without the need to schedule meetings. Businesses supporting RTO mandates foster spontaneous moments of inspiration, easily shared with a simple knock on a colleague's door.
Remote workers often have to rely on text communication channels such as Microsoft Teams or emails, which are easier to overlook or unintentionally ignore. It can also be a pain to schedule meetings for simple questions and conversations that only require a brief chat. This in-person connection works best for new employees.
This is great for creatives who work best in environments that foster innovation. In creative industries, this type of idea generation is absolutely essential to coming up with great solutions and artistry.
Enhanced Company Culture
Perhaps one of the greatest perks of getting your employees together in a shared space is being able to promote a positive company culture. Sometimes, work-from-home models can make employees feel isolated and disconnected from their team. This disconnection can lead to a lack of proper communication, and a lack of proper communication can lead to mistakes. Mistakes can be costly if you’re not able to catch them before the workflows through the pipeline.
This is why having a connected team that has good rapport and trust is essential. Employees working within close proximity, who have the ability to quickly communicate, can help prevent mistakes from happening.
But how do you foster a positive company culture that keeps your employees connected? Here are a few suggestions:
Encourage Open Communication
Ensure management structures and foster an environment where employees feel safe and comfortable sharing their innovations and feedback.
Have regular team meetings with active conversation about goals, achievements, and concerns.
Keep an open-door policy for management to address issues swiftly and transparently.
Celebrate Achievements
Make sure to celebrate employee milestones and anniversaries.
Always recognize employee accomplishments by shouting them out during meetings, providing small awards and incentives, and mini celebrations.
Promote Work-Life Balance
It’s important to respect your employees’ time. Avoid communicating after working hours unless the situation is an emergency. Also, additional working hours, such as overtime, should be the exception, not the rule.
Where you’re able, try to offer flexible scheduling. A lot of the reasons top performers avoid in-person work is because there’s the misconception that in-office work means a lack of flexibility.
Provide wellness programs, like on-site yoga or gym discounts.
Provide Opportunities for Growth
Offer regular training and development programs to enhance your employees’ skills
Communicate clear pathways for career development.
Encourage your employees to participate in industry workshops and conferences.
Foster Team Bonding
Organize regular and recurring team-building activities such as lunches, retreats, and after-work events. This helps your team feel connected beyond the workplace.
Create comfortable and welcoming communal spaces such as breakrooms, lounges, or even game rooms to encourage casual interactions.
Incorporate collaborative projects that encourage employees to work across departments.
Design an Inviting Workplace
Keep the office clean, inviting, and well-lit, and encourage employees to clean up after shared communal spaces.
Add aesthetically pleasing decorations like plants, art, etc. A nice office space can create a sense of comfort and productivity.
Supply ergonomic furniture and tools to help support the comfort and health of your employees.
Support Inclusivity and Diversity
Ensure your business supports a culture of diversity. Diversity in the workforce is important when it comes to creating an elevated team.
Make materials on inclusivity available and encourage inclusivity training.
Additional Considerations
We can’t talk about the good without talking about alternative outcomes. When you initially make this switch, there may be a period of employee turnover. Simply put, some employees may not want to surrender the flexibility of the work-from-home model.
Studies have shown that when initiating an RTO, businesses may see a spike in employee turnover rates. However, there are ways you can soften the blow or even prevent employees from leaving.
Listen to Employee Concerns
After issuing the RTO, make sure your employees know they can come to management with any concerns they have with the shift.
For example, a single parent without viable childcare options may be very worried about the RTO. Alternatively, an employee may have relocated far from the physical office — whether to support a partner's career, be closer to family, or for other personal reasons — assuming they wouldn’t need to return to an in-office setting.
You can work with these employees to see if you can find a mutually beneficial solution.
Offer a Flexible RTO Model
You don’t have to have employees back in the office the very next day. You can make the shift gradual to allow employees to ease themselves into the transition and make alternative arrangements where necessary.
You can also offer a hybrid option, where employees can stay home 1-2 days a week, with the majority of working hours being completed in the office.
Also, make work-from-home options available based on circumstances, such as employees who need to travel but want to remain connected to their work.
Make In-Office Days Valuable
Make in-office days productive, collaborative, and overall, a valuable experience. You can also provide additional perks, such as free meals or snacks, good parking options, and upgraded office spaces. You can also have discussions on the stats and benefits of in-office work with your employees.
Maintain Work-Life Balance
We’ve touched on this briefly, but we’re going to expand on it a bit more. You can offer employees flexible hours when necessary, including PTO, sick days, bereavement days, etc. Make a point to management not to penalize employees for needing hour flexibility as long as the request is reasonable.
Also, you can offer mental health support as a part of the employment package to allow your employees to keep themselves happy and healthy. Providers like Telus Health partner with businesses to provide accessible health and wellness services.
Provide Incentives for Business Loyalty
Offer bonuses for employees, such as extra PTO, professional development opportunities. This could include additional skills training for career growth or even promotions.
Address Compensation and Benefits
You're going to want to be open to the idea of adjusting salaries due to adding commuting costs. Alternatively, you could provide travel stipends for employees who have to travel far to reach the office. Saving on commuting costs is one of the major perks top-tier talent will list when considering RTO.
You can also offer additional benefits such as on-site childcare, fitness facilities, and discounted parking.
Making the Final Decision
Now that you’ve taken in all the considerations, you can begin making the shift towards mandatory Return to Office. If you need help sourcing high caliber professionals after you issue your mandatory RTO, connect with our team at itec group recruitment solutions. Our approach focuses on retention-driven hiring, seeking candidates with versatile, cross-functional skills who thrive in the present and align with your future growth. By focusing on individuals with the agility and ambition to evolve with your business, we deliver lasting value and sustained success.
