Top tips on optimizing going back to the office post covid
One thing that’s become clear is that we need to rethink the way we work and meet post covid and the answer to this might be company team building events and socials. How do we go back to work in a covid safe way without compromising productivity and the wellbeing of our employees? We’ve collected some insights on what the future of work might look like and what might disrupt the way we work going forward.
Recently we committed a UK workers survey that gave us interesting ideas on what workers actually want post pandemic from their employer and workplace. Read the full report here.
In an analyzes conducted by McKinsey it is emphasized that the potential to keep working from home without any significant loss of productivity is determined by the industry in which you’re working. Finance and insurance are highlighted as industries with the highest potential for the hybrid workplace to become the new normal. If you’re in these industries or other industries that will likely keep working from home post pandemic regular corporate parties and company events might be a useful tool to tackle the new workplace.
Three best practices when going back to work
Dialogue – Understanding your team’s needs
A key factor to how well you can understand the needs of your team is through dialogue. Don’t be afraid to open up the conversation and make sure everyone feels safe to express their opinion. Anonymous surveys might be an option to spark conversation.
Something our research shows is that workers in general want to see their colleagues regularly with 94% still wanting to meet up with their coworkers. But there’s only so much figures can tell us and it’s of importance that you open up the conversation in order to understand what your employees want.
What’s important to remember is meeting in person might not always serve the purpose you’d first imagine. 60% of employees stated that they would consider leaving if they were forced to work in the office more than they wanted while more than a quarter (26%) of 18–24 year olds said they’d consider leaving if their employer scrapped get social events.
It seems as if employees want to see their colleagues regularly but labor turnover will probably rise if too much office work is forced. Therefore it’s important that you speak to your employees about what they want in order to fully understand not only what’s important to them but also what purpose it serves for them to meet in person.
Space Thinking – Take this chance to rethink the potential of space
2020 and 2021 really showed us that we don’t need to get together to be productive – it’s more than possible to do most things remotely. On the other hand our research showed that more than 80% of those asked thought getting together regularly with colleagues would improve their performance and productivity. Try to be creative when reflecting on how to best use the space you have and what activities and tasks are more appropriate when meeting up face to face.
In The hybrid working blueprint by Orgvue they state that the future is hybrid and that an important tool when adjusting to this new workplace is to fully understand what your employees do on a day to day basis in order to understand how to make adjustments accordingly. This is something we’d also suggest thinking about when thinking about space, when, where, and how to meet up and what purpose you want it to serve.
What employees are most excited about seeing the end of is:
- Online meetings
- Isolation
- Not having a dedicated work space
- Not getting a change of scenery
- The lack of structure
Read about how you can help and support employees with these things.
Take this into account when trying to understand what your employees want and how to best make use of space in these new times. Maybe the feeling of isolation is something we can resolve without having to go back to the 9-to-5 model for example. Offsite corporate meetings could be the answer to what you and your team need going forward in order to satisfy what workers want and what’s best for productivity.
Best of both worlds – Meet up but stay flexible
Most data is pointing in the same direction – people still want to meet up and they want to finally see an end to isolation, but at the same time they don’t want to lose the freedom to be flexible. When other employers manage to offer their employees the balance that they’re looking for it’s important that you manage to do the same to reduce labor turnover as the world is opening back up.
Our analysis shows that an important part of keeping your employees happy and contempt is to regularly meet up for corporate team building, socialising and events. 
Moving forward
Going forward in this new world and workplace we’d love to help you and your employees get the most of what’s ahead. Check out our best team social ideas and browse spaces in London, Birmingham, Manchester and more!
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us as we’re always happy to help you find just the right fit for your event. Use our venue finder and one of the members of our friendly concierge team will help you.
