How to Communicate a Return to the Office

At this point volumes have been written about the end of the pandemic, the return to normalcy, and what that looks like for employers and employees alike. It seems like remote work will be here to stay in some form or fashion, hybrid work models will become far more popular, and what an office is for and how it functions will dramatically evolve. However, one thing is absolutely clear—if you’re requiring employees to return to a physical office space, that demand cannot be without reason. A return to the office needs to be positioned as a value-add proposition for both the organization and the worker—to accomplish this, focus on and communicate four Cs. First, connection, a return to the office means a return to an established community. Next, express the importance of collaboration. No role exists in a silo, and we all benefit from other perspectives and ideas. This leads to an increase in creativity and will ultimately benefit the organization’s culture. It’s the responsibility of managers and leadership to clearly communicate this four-pronged value proposition and discuss what a return to the office will look like for each individual team member and the organization.