Office managers share tips for returning to work

By Hannah Callaghan, Gett

Whether your company is fully returning to the office or choosing a hybrid (partly remote) model, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. At every company, things will look different. And that’s okay. What’s most important is that you survey your employees and talk to them about their expectations, concerns, and wants.

We spoke with managers from across the world to hear their advice for getting everyone back to the office safely and happily. Here are three of our favorites.

1. Survey your employees

“A portion of the planning will involve getting my employees’ take on what they want and need in the office. Surveys will be sent to get a feel of what needs to be done. Whatever I decide, the important thing is to disseminate the information to all employees a week before we return! This will ensure that things stay organized even during the transition.” – Rachel Klaver, Co-founder of Identify Marketing

2. Implement a booking system for shared workspaces

“Prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, OnBuy was operating with a dedicated team of just 15 office-based employees. Despite several nationwide lockdowns and a complete transition from in-house to remote working, the business’ immense success has led to numerous new hires across the company, resulting in over 85 members of staff and counting. With the further relaxation of lockdown restrictions on the horizon, we’ve secured larger premises to allow all employees to safely return to working in-house if desired. Until this move is actioned, we’ve implemented a booking system that gives staff the opportunity to work in the office using the 55 workstations currently available, providing them with extra flexibility where necessary.” – Cas Paton, CEO of OnBuy.com

3. Add some fun to your welcome-back planning

“We’re focused on fun just as much as on training. Apart from the cleaning preparation, I’ve assembled goodie bags with fun treats, bubbles, whistles, lip chap, and such for the day we return. We’ll also do a theme day each Friday for a few weeks to bring things back to a team feel. And Puppy Thursday will resume, where employees are invited to bring their socialized dogs to work” – Maria Ferronato, Office Manager at The Gentleman Pros

To get more tips like these from real-life office and facilities managers, check out the Ultimate Guide to Getting Back to the Office that we put together over at Gett. 

Contact

Hannah Callaghan

hannah.callaghan@gett.com

https://gett.com/resources/ultimate-guide-to-getting-back/