Steps before returning to offi ce life
BY DOUG CLAFFEY, ENERGAGE
Employee feedback plays
a vital role in any return-towork
plan. The fi rst thing
leaders need to do – before
any transition plan is communicated
to the staff – is to
gather employee feedback
via a short, targeted survey.
This provides the critical data
needed to help inform a successful
plan.
Think of the return-towork
transition plan in
three phases:
1. Planning input: Human
resources, a tiger
team, or a combination
of both develop
a plan to return to the
workplace.
2. Post-decision: Make
sure your plan is clear
and is without missing
spots before you begin
to execute.
3. Post-return: Assess
the transition, how it
went, where there are
hotspots, and what
went well.
From the start, it’s important
to capture employee
feedback while you are formulating
your plan. There
are two critical factors
to consider:
• Who is at risk? Know
how many of your employees
are at a higher
risk of serious complications
from COVID.
Also, be aware of how
many employees are
caregivers for people
who have complications
for COVID. Employees
that are immunocompromised
or
have breathing challenges
are in a higher
risk category.
• Who has childcare
challenges? Childcare
is one of the biggest
pressure points
we’ve seen. Employees
who are caregivers to
school-aged children,
particularly in the 5-
to 10-year-old range,
require a lot of time
and attention. Schools,
camps and other care
settings are probably
not an option.
Focus your attention on
three key topics as you begin
your transition:
1. Productivity: Are
people going to be
more productive as
they come into the offi
ce?
2. Emotions: What emotions
are people feeling?
These can range
from fear to excitement.
3. Logistics: What
are the who, what,
and how logistics
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of returning to the
workplace.
If employees are fearful
of contracting COVID, the
way they perceive the workplace
is going to be different
than others. There’s a very
good chance this will create
drama throughout your
organization. But if you can
get out ahead of that, you can
really save yourself a headache
and also be more productive
when you’re making
this transition.
Lastly, this is the new reality.
Be deliberate. Be thoughtful.
Make your employees feel
like they’re part of the planning
process and that their input
matters. And after you’ve
communicated the plan and
started the rollout, continue
to collect their feedback so
they feel valued and heard.
This is extremely important.
Because if you don’t put a lot
of thought into it, your business
will suffer a signifi cant
impact.
Doug Claffey is founder
of Energage, a Philadelphiabased
research and consulting
fi rm that surveyed more than 2
million employees at more than
7,000 organizations in 2019.
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