Navigating the return to a ‘new normal’

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease across the UK, businesses will be thinking about how to re-open their doors to employees. But for many of us, it won’t simply be a case of picking up where we left off. Covid-19 turned our working lives upside down, with offices reduced to empty shells as employees swapped desks for kitchen tables and lunch meetings for zoom calls. From an employee’s perspective, the shift to new work patterns has been momentous, giving them greater flexibility and autonomy than ever before.

With life now slowly returning to normal, albeit a new type of normal, employees may be feeling reluctant to give up many of the benefits they’ve gained over the past year. As businesses navigate this next phase they will need to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of their workforce and remain competitive in a new post-pandemic world.

Safety concerns

The devastation of the pandemic, from daily death tolls to widespread isolation and loneliness, have had a huge impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. A study in December found that 42% of people felt anxious or depressed, compared to just 11% the previous year.

While the speed of the UK’s vaccination programme has given us some much-needed hope, for some employees the prospect of returning to the office may continue to bring with it a heightened level of anxiety.

Needless to say, business leaders will need to give careful consideration to how they manage employees’ physical and mental health on their return and two-way communication will be absolutely paramount.

All employees should be asked how they feel about returning to the office and what would make the transition easier. Gathering this data will not only ensure that all employees feel listened to and their opinion valued but will help businesses to put together a plan of action. While it won’t be possible to please everyone, it will make a big difference to employees if they have clear expectations about what the workplace will look like and the support available to them.

It’s safe to say that for now at least, the days of offices teaming with people huddled around shared desk spaces or in meeting rooms are a thing of the past. Desks will need to be spaced out to allow social distancing, one-way systems may be in place and some businesses will have to operate a desk-booking system.

It’s important that these changes and safety precautions are clearly relayed to employees ahead of their return and leaders keep this level of communication and support up as workers readjust.

Greater flexibility

Covid-19 proved to be the biggest impromptu ‘work from home’ experiment the world has seen and while the sudden shift to mass homeworking hasn’t been without its challenges, employees have shown incredible resilience, adaptability and motivation. A recent study found that nine in ten employees felt they had got as much, if not more, work done at home as in the office. 

As much as employees may be desperate for a change of scenery, many will have grown accustomed to flexible working, allowing them to forego the daily commute or spend more time with family. Not surprisingly, nearly three quarters of employees said they would like to adopt a hybrid working arrangement, combining home working with time in the office.  

While the debate around achieving the holy grail of a good work-life balance was raging long before the pandemic hit, this past year has given businesses the opportunity to reflect, rethink and reimagine better, more adaptive business models.

What form this will take will differ greatly from business to business. Some companies may opt for a four-day week, while others may choose to reduce working hours or adopt a hybrid model. What’s clear is that we are moving further away from the nine-to-five structure and building working environments that measure success and performance based on results rather than hours sat at a desk.

Greater flexibility will also allow companies to cast their net wider, providing more opportunities and equality for employees whose progression may have been hindered by rigid working structures or set locations.

But as working patterns change, so too will the role of the office. While remote working has shown itself to have many benefits, it cannot replicate the creativity and collaboration that comes from working together in person. Impromptu breakout sessions, chance encounters on the coffee run and learning by observation have all been taken away.

Leaders will need to think about how the office can facilitate our need for human interaction, while satisfying our desire for greater flexibility. It may be that the office becomes a social space – a place of creativity and innovation for employees to come together to reconnect, brainstorm and feel part of the organisation.

However, it’s important that once leaders decide how best to utilise their office space, they stay true to their word. Employees will quickly lose trust and motivation if they find themselves sat alone at their desk carrying out tasks which could have just as easily been done from home.

Reconnecting after months apart

Arguably one of the biggest challenges businesses have faced with everyone working remotely is connection, both logistically and on a personal level. While digitalisation was already evolving at pace before the pandemic, the events of the past year have proved just how critical it is to keep businesses running. Going forward, leaders will need to continue to invest in technology to support remote working, offer access to e-learning and minimise disruption.

But reconnecting after a year apart is about so much more than technology. It’s about ensuring that employees continue to feel a sense of purpose and belonging. Leaders must ensure they continue to communicate the company’s vision so that employees understand their individual contribution and what they’re striving towards.

Working from home will inevitably give rise to the dreaded FOMO, so regular and meaningful one-to-ones, both between managers and colleagues, will ensure everyone feels included and involved. Not only does regular communication help to foster greater connection and engagement, but it also gives employees clarity around what is expected of them work-wise on a weekly basis.

One of the biggest concerns for employees as we transition to a more flexible style of working is being overlooked when it comes to career progression and promotion. Working together to create a learning and development plan will help employees to think about what they want to achieve, remind them of their value to the business and stress the support available to them to help them develop. It will also ensure that they understand exactly how their performance will be measured.

As we look to the future, it’s clear that progressive leaders that seize the opportunity to drive positive change out of something so devastating will not only improve the lives of their employees but give them a competitive edge that stems from a happier, engaged and more motivated workforce.

“Covid-19 turned our working lives upside down, with offices reduced to empty shells as employees swapped desks for kitchen tables and lunch meetings for zoom calls.”