Remote work hacks to draw employees back in.

98%

That’s how much of the workforce wants at least partial remote work available to them in their job. Motivating employees to come into the office instead of working virtually involves creating a positive and engaging workplace environment. Check out these hacks to help make employees want to come into work. Unless of course, you’re planning to push against the remote landslide that is never going to be back to “normal”.

1.     Flexibility with conditions: Consider offering flexible work arrangements that allow employees to balance both in-office and remote work. But but but. Keep several mandatory in-office blocks of time each week to actually work side by side.

2.     Safe + inviting  workspace: Ensure that the office space is clean, comfortable, and safe. Maybe upgrade some furniture, get rid of bad lighting, have good coffee,  have a stash of snacks that you’ve put some thought into.

3.     Collaborative workspaces:  Emphasize the value of face-to-face interactions for collaboration and team building. Arrange meetings, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative projects that require physical presence BUT create spaces where these interactions are more comfortable and functional.

4.     Professional dev: Have opportunities for skill development and career growth that are ONLY available on site, like workshops, and training sessions.

5.     Social activities: Organize social events, team-building activities, or get outside and play 30 minutes of wiffleball. It’s wild how simple it can be to build a sense of community among employees. Don’t overthink these, just get them on the calendar now.

6.     Employee involvement: Involve employees in decision-making processes and encourage them to share their input on office policies, layout, and other factors that affect their work environment. “I’d like to give Lucy a shout out for her innovative idea on where to put the new mini fridge.”

7.     Personalization: Let employees personalize their workspaces to some extent, so they feel a sense of ownership and comfort when they come into the office.

8.     Lead by example: Leaders have no option but to set an example by being present in the office and actively jumping in to the above list!

9.     What would you add?