Top tips for boosting your office culture post-Covid

Many employers may see the return to office working as an opportunity to recapture the previous culture of their organisation. However, hybrid office and home working and fully remote roles bring different challenges that can impact morale and cause disruption within your team.

There are undoubtedly benefits to being able to bring employees together again in person. Even so, there’s also an opportunity for companies to adapt and build on their values and culture, improve employee well-being and enhance team spirit.

Be transparent

If your office has reopened or you’re about to reopen, use this time to reshare your office policy or send out your new policy. This allows your staff to feel prepared when they walk back into the office. 

Honesty remains the best policy. Set the tone with your people as to how you would like your company to be run going forward. Do you want office presence every day from a portion of your employees? Are you happy for different departments to work out their own office/homeworking schedule? Communicate this to your staff so they can make decisions that feel right for them.

Lead by example

You may want to urge your senior management to have a presence in the office. If your people see a blend of staff from all tiers heading into physical workspaces it may encourage them to venture in themselves. If they feel it is one rule for them and another for management, they may be reluctant to return to the office.

Take into account whether the environment works

If you’re adopting flexible working with staff working both from your premises and home, consider the layout of your office. Prior to the pandemic, set desks spaces will likely have worked but if you’re moving to a hybrid situation then a hot desk policy may suit its flexible nature. If staff are coming in more for meetings, consider break out spaces that allow for teamwork, strategizing and the throwing around of ideas.

Consider new team dynamics  

There may have been changes affecting the dynamics of your team during the pandemic. This could be new starters who joined the business remotely, missing colleagues if there have been redundancies or role changes that happened during lockdown. Flexible working arrangements or hybrid working models will also have an impact on your team.

Think through the best way for your team(s) to work together. Communicate this to them either virtually or in person, ensuring collaboration between new and existing staff.

Be aware of office politics

Old HR issues which have been avoided at home could re-surface as employees venture back into workspaces. For example, working from home may have allowed some individuals to leave office politics behind. They may be concerned about whether previous conflicts might be return when everyone is in the office.

Open a dialogue for staff to air any concerns they have about returning to the office, so you are fully aware of and can prepare for any issues or stumbling blocks.

Consider your management style

Employees may have become used to working more autonomously, with many thriving under a more relaxed management style during the pandemic. They may not respond well to being managed more closely again. If your staff have been delivering for you while working from home, trust that they will continue to do so. You can have regular catch ups, either in person or via video call, to see how they’re performing and check in on their mental health.

That said, new starters who have joined your company while you’ve been operating remotely, or you have recruited since your premises re-opened, may prefer a more hands on approach to get to grips with working in your office. 

Gather staff feedback

Teams with higher employee engagement are 22% more profitable, whereas those with low employee engagement have 37% more absenteeism, according to global analytics and advice firm Gallup. Actively asking your staff for their thoughts may lead to them feeling more engaged, which in turn boosts morale and performance, helping you to reach your business goals.

Employee engagement platforms, such as Engagement Multiplier which Bravo Networks has a relationship with, are a great way to do this. Engagement Multiplier allows you to gain anonymous feedback and gives you an insight into how your employees are really feeling. This then gives you a starting point as to whether there are any issues which need to be addressed.