More than 60% of top managers want to bring all employees back to the office every day, which means five days a week. More interestingly, 90% of them would even pay for it. This change of mind - it was not long ago that we all had our daily coffee chats virtually - has now materialized post-pandemic and it does not just come from traditional companies, but also from the big tech companies like Meta, Microsoft and Apple.
On the other side, the “Great Return” is not unconditionally received so favourably by employees. Though almost half of employees work again full-time in the office, only 18% really like it. The vast majority of employees prefers hybrid work modes, with some days in the office and some days working from home.
In order to keep productivity high and employee attrition low, how can companies overcome this back to office resistance?
To highlight one of the hottest HR topics at the moment, NAVIT hosted its very first event on 16 November 2023 at its office in Berlin and brought together five seasoned HR leaders for an insightful panel discussion on the future of work.
The panellists shared a wealth of knowledge and their experiences on how to create and cultivate an inclusive culture while also touching upon emerging challenges, trends, strategies, and best practices every HR professional must know when talking about hybrid work and back-to-office.
Meet the panellists:
Meg Telson, Head of People, GetYourGuide
Eric Grieben, Chief Operations Officer, Lendis
Julia Carloff-Winkelmann, Chief People Officer, Dance
Vera Schnabel, Head of People & Culture, Gymondo
Lisa Rieh, Principal Organizational Culture, Babbel
Moderated by Cori Moore, the thought-provoking conversation culminated in an exciting ‘audience Q&A' session with in-depth HR content.
Missed it? We have you covered and distilled the key takeaways for you.
"Foster culture, communication, connection—how is less important. Don't freak out if you haven't found the perfect setup; it's a work in progress for all."
This can be said first of all: there's no definitive right or wrong when it comes to getting people back to the office. The ultimate goal is to foster a culture of communication and connection, and how you achieve this (hybrid, onsite, etc.) is less crucial. Don't fret if you haven't found the perfect setup yet; it's a work in progress for everyone, including the big brands.
Embrace the journey towards a workplace that suits your unique needs. This also means, listen to the teams individually (for some teams remote works easier, for some not, e.g. engineering vs. sales), find a solution together with them and establish regular feedback loops to evaluate how things are going. The world has changed as well as employee needs.
"Just like supporting your football team, culture is about creating shared experiences. Remote or onsite, it's the togetherness that matters."
With companies finding their set up in a changing world, culture has become more and more crucial. This requires companies to think about what's at the core of their culture and how working from home or working in the office will positively or negatively influence that culture.
Again, no black and white, every company would describe culture differently, but in the end it comes down to “identification” (Vera, Gymondo) and “embracing a culture of belonging” (Lisa, Babbel). While this can be tricky to do remotely, one of the keys can be to “invest in communities and help them build a culture in the office” (Lisa): Naturally, a lot of communities spark in companies, like expat communities, or board gamers and foodies. Give them a space in the office and some budget. That's not so much about productive work, but actually emphasizing on what makes the company and the office special. And then it's, again, a lot about communication: Culture is manifesting in behaviour. Implement rituals, emphasize on them and practice them. This also works in written form or in a video call.
As Eric (Lendis) puts it: Culture is akin to supporting your favorite football team. Even if you've never lived in Dortmund, you can feel connected to the BVB culture. However, being in the stadium with fellow fans creates an unparalleled experience. Likewise, creating shared experiences in the workplace is crucial. Remote or onsite, it's about fostering a sense of togetherness that goes beyond the virtual realm.
"For success, involve employees. A top-down approach won't cut it. Co-create arrangements that are happily embraced by all."
Top-down policies alone won't cut it. You cannot and should not force anyone into the office, that basically implies that someone makes a decision about someone else. So forcing often leads to distance and by that you actually create what you tried to prevent in the first place.
Instead, create incentives - and “it is not hard cash incentives” (Lisa, Babbel) - that make the office a special place, give employees an understanding and “talk about the higher goals of why we are actually doing this and how is the way looking” (Vera, Gymondo), so they are motivated to come back. (again, communication!)
Hence, to successfully navigate the new normal, “employee involvement is key in finding solutions that tackle the actual challenge” (Vera). It's about understanding what arrangements are genuinely embraced and lived by everyone. A collaborative approach ensures that policies aren't just dictated but are co-created, leading to a workplace where everyone feels heard and valued.
“It’s a never-ending ongoing process and an evolution to find the right setup. Define and offer a position as a company but it's something you probably need to adjust to your team and to your situation where your company is.”
Bringing people back to the office after they got used to working from home is a sensitive topic. Companies are well advised not to rush things by forcing employees to spend full-time in the office just because “we’ve always done it before and it worked better”. Instead they should give it some time to work and actively engage employees to understand their needs and concerns. It’s a process, it’s an evolution to find the right setup. Sometimes it’s a trial and error, getting feedback and adjust to your team and your situation. Above all, It’s truly a crucial one to get right for both employees and businesses.
“The times they are changing. The wheel will not be turned back. Being fully remote won’t work as being fully in the office won’t. Hybrid work setups get the most out of both worlds.”
It’s clear: 100% office is a risk for talent retention. In times of skilled labour shortage and ‘war for talent’, the risk to lose talent is real and big enough. 62% of employees feel more productive when working in home office. At the same time, “when you meet in person, you really focus more on building trust and team building” (Julia, Dance) and as “experiences generally happen in person, it makes most sense to collaborate in person” (Meg, GetYourGuide).
So, hybrid work wins and is here to stay. Most companies work better with 2-3 days of office presence per week.
The NAVIT HR panel “How to Overcome Back to Office Resistance” took place on 16 November 2023 at the NAVIT office in Berlin with the following panelists:
Meg Telson, GetYourGuide
Eric Grieben, Lendis
Julia Carloff-Winkelmann, Dance
Vera Schnabel, Gymondo
Lisa Rieh, Babbel
A massive shout out to our panelists, who not only enriched the discussion but rocked the stage with their expertise and enthusiasm, and a special thanks to our panel host Cori Moore. We would also like to thank everyone who joined us for the event. Here's to many more insightful discussions and collaborative moments as we continue this journey together. Stay tuned for 2024!
