Five powerful arguments for post-pandemic workplaces and how to use them to effectively bring teams back to the office

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we think about where, when, and how work gets done. After almost two years of predominantly remote work, the future looks very different from the past. As leaders roll out a return to workplace initiatives, communicating the value of being together has never been more important.

Here are five of the top reasons why the office is still relevant in a hybrid world.

Culture

Is your organization's culture better off today than it was in 2019? If the answer is no, you're not alone. Many business leaders cite culture as a key casualty of fully remote working. The proof is in the numbers. According to a recent report by Gallup, 48% of the population is actively looking for a new job and a majority cite work culture as the fundamental reason for wanting to leave.

Companies that invest in corporate responsibility and culture see a 50% decrease in turnover and a 13% increase in productivity (Project ROI). Creating a thriving culture and employee experience also multiplies employee engagement by 13 times (OC Tanner). The workplace is a top tool for promoting culture because it provides abundant opportunities to communicate company values and beliefs as well as reflects the organization's investment in its people.

The office is also where teams can meet in person to form meaningful relationships, something difficult to emulate in a fully remote environment.

Training and development

High-performing athletes train together. Even in individual sports like running and swimming, being with teammates who push you and coaches who guide you is proven to be more effective than training solo.

The same is true in business. Companies can (and should) invest in digital training programs for their teams, but nothing compares to the benefit of in-person learning.

LinkedIn research shows that 94% of surveyed employees would stay longer at companies that invest in helping them learn. At the same time, a recent study by Qualtrics shows that lack of growth opportunities is the number one reason both managers and individuals are looking for new jobs in the next 12 months.

The correlation is that development and learning in fully remote work situations aren't meeting employees' needs. In-person mentorships, access to resources, network building, job shadowing, and unscheduled development opportunities are just a few of the ways the workplace can help.

Collaboration and innovation

Creativity thrives when multiple minds come together. Workplace experts are rethinking spaces in every industry to cater to a shift in purpose-based working, with an emphasis on collaboration.

Just as focus work may, for some, be better suited for home, collaboration is often better in person. Collaboration and change are also great catalysts of innovation.

In fact, research by Frost & Sullivan shows that collaboration increases innovation by 30% and productivity by 36%.

Control

Many individuals prefer remote work because they have more control over their personal workspace. From an organizational perspective, however, this is a challenge. Home office programs and stipends for remote work setups can help, but controlling and standardizing the working environment of 1,000 employees' homes is much more difficult than doing so in a single corporate office.

From internet access to technology, ergonomics to well-being, culture promotion to change communication, business leaders have more control of the commercial workplace and can ensure it is optimized and effective for every team member. This is especially relevant as the concept of equity increasingly becomes a top priority.

Performance

Most proponents of remote work use productivity as a key success metric. Dig deeper into these studies and you'll find many are measuring productivity by number of meetings held or emails sent.

Since February 2020, work meetings have increased 69.7% (Reclaim). Holding more meetings does not always mean more productivity ... instead, it's often the opposite. A likely symptom is an increased rate of burnout - now affecting as many as 75% of employees (FlexJobs). Getting together in person could help reduce the number of formal/scheduled meetings, speed up communication, and make "productivity" more efficient and effective.

These are only five of the reasons why the workplace matters. From access to technology to resilience, well-being, and engagement, the workspace is a key component of a successful future for most organizations.

For more ideas on how to successfully bring teams back into the workplace and tools for navigating the path to a new space, visit www.bos.com or contact me at glp@bos.com.

• George Lucas Pfeiffer is CMO of BOS Holdings.