Eric Handler headshot Written by: Eric Handler

Post-Pandemic: What Does Coming Back to the Office Look Like?

In the past few months, we’ve seen more and more companies make the return back to the office. As a leader worth following, it’s time to, at the very least, have a plan of what coming back to the office looks like for your company and team.

Group of employees having a meeting after coming back to the office

We all know it is going to look different for everyone, but here’s what you need to know and do as a leader:

  1. Find what works best for you. The work you do, your company culture, and the personalities of your employees should drive your decision here. Whether your entire team is fully back in the office, you decide to go with a hybrid plan, or you only bring employees back a few at a time, decide what makes the most sense for you.
  2. Have a plan and stick to it. Once you decide what’s going to work best for you, make a full plan and, most importantly, stick to the plan. Make it a safe approach for everyone. This will most certainly require conversations with your team as you understand how they’re feeling about it.
  3. Give your employees a heads up and some time to plan. You don’t want to spring something on your employees days before, even if they are anticipating an announcement coming soon. Give them time to prepare and make plans, especially if you have parents in your company.
  4. Showcase leadership with some empathy. Your team needs to see leaders motivated and excited to return, while also understanding this may be hard for some. This is exactly what it means to be a leader worth following – they are looking to you to lead.
  5. Take advantage of the connections and social interaction. You’re finally all back together in an office – take advantage of it with things like team breakfast or lunch, tasks that require employees to work together, and meetings together. You don’t want to return to the office just to have your team in silos working just like they have for the last year.

“It is definitely hard to give up the flexibility and ease of working from home, however, there are several advantages of resuming work in an office that the home environment lacks.” – RASHMI PARMAR, MD

Make this a stress-free time for yourself and your team. Do what’s best for your company. And know that eventually, being back in the office will feel normal again.