Working in-person brings back the more social elements of work and collaboration that many have missed. But before you rush to bring everyone back in straight away, remember that the world isn’t the same as it was when everyone started working from home. People have enjoyed spending less time in the car or on the train commuting and more time with their families. 

And it’s hard to tempt people back into their suits after two years of wearing athleisure to work. While some younger workers struggling to stay productive in their shared apartment kitchens or bedrooms might be eager to return to work in-person, for others it will be a harder sell.

The world of work has changed from top to bottom, and if you don’t keep up with those changes and offer flexibility, your employees may start looking for work elsewhere. A Future Forum survey found that 78% of workers wanted flexibility when it came to where they worked, and 95% wanted flexibility in their schedules. 

Meanwhile, that same survey found that 68% of executives wanted to work in the office for most or all of the work week. As you plan your return to office (RTO), you need to look for opportunities to keep employees happy that still make sense for your bottom line.

Hybrid working is one of the best ways to offer choice and flexibility to your employees. Hybrid work schedules allow everyone the choice of where and when they do their best work. Which was echoed in an Accenture survey of 9,000 workers worldwide, which found that 83% preferred a hybrid work model. 

Everybody wants RTO to be a success. If you plan your RTO well, you’ll give employees a great experience when they return, which will make them more likely to pro-actively plan to come in again. It’s about finding the right balance, providing the best experience, and encouraging the right behaviour for a better workplace.

experience sounds unappealing and potentilly unproductive for many people. Hands down the most important part of returning to the office is the employee experience. Don’t let a bad experience keep your employees from ever crossing the threshold again.

You need to make in-person working exciting again. Plus, the easier you make working together in the same physical space, the more people will want to collaborate in-office. Studies show that remote working doesn’t always increase productivity and quickly leads to burnout. Going into the office gives everyone a break from home, a change in scenery, and a clear defining line for when work starts and ends for the day.

We can take inspiration from brick-and-mortar retail stores that have successfully pivoted in the face of eCommerce competition. Consider a store like IKEA. Visiting IKEA is an experience. You get to walk around fully designed rooms and test out all the furniture they offer. Sure, you could buy your new couch online, but you can’t tell how springy the cushions are through your computer screen. So you make the drive and walk around the winding path in the store to see everything IKEA has to offer. While you’re there, you’ll probably pick up a bag full of things you didn’t even realize you needed! That’s because IKEA has made the generally dull prospect of shopping for new furniture exciting.

You can apply the same principles to your workplace. Yes, workers can do quality work remotely. But when they’re in the office, they’re likely to develop related ideas that can strengthen their overall work quality. Just like picking up that blanket helps tie together your living room decor. This is especially true when working on complicated projects with many moving parts.

Making your office a destination again will help remind employees of all the best parts of in-person working they’ve been missing over the last few years.