Meeting employees where they’re at allows organizations to remain healthy

Once upon a time, most working Americans woke up to an alarm, jumped in the shower, grabbed breakfast, dropped their kids at school or day care, and arrived at work sometime between 7 and 9 a.m.

Employees spent their work days at the same workstation or desk, ate lunch at the same time as their co-workers, and commuted during the same rush hour. While work responsibilities and flexibility varied by job title, industry, and seniority, the cadence and rhythm of a typical workweek were well-defined and consistent.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed all that. Employees who never had the luxury of working remotely were sent home. Some never returned as employers learned that productivity could be maintained while real estate expenses were reduced. In addition, talent could be recruited and retained from a wider geographic area.

Return-to-office policies made headlines in the post-pandemic era and still spark heated debate, impact employee morale, and cause turnover. In a perfect world, each employer would have a well-crafted policy residing at the intersection of what the organization needs to be successful and what their employees need to be engaged. But successfully finding that intersection can be tricky.

At meetings with other CEOs, this topic is a frequent one and I find it amazing that the policies implemented at very similar organizations are so diverse. In fact, they run the gamut from 100% remote to 100% on-site with everything in between. Most CEOs express confidence that their current policy works well for their organization, but a few are willing to admit that they’re still looking for the perfect formula.

One might assume that almost six years after the initial COVID shelter-in-place orders, leaders would have figured this out. But the realities and complexities of a fluctuating economy, changing workforce demographics, and technological advancements make this moving target a challenging one.

Experimentation (if possible) in concert with valid data and feedback is paramount in choosing the right path for your organization. The one-size-fits-all approach is rarely successful in today’s competitive environment. Gathering input from employees about where they do their best work is important, as is comparing productivity rates for remote vs. in-person periods. Determining if your best qualified applicants are seeking remote or hybrid work should also weigh into the equation.

Leaders often pine for the “good old days” when our teams were together in the same workplace, all week, every week. Although many industries (think retail, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, and health care, for example) continue to operate this way, most others will never go back to the traditional model. So, it’s critical to unpack what isn’t working well for your organization given your remote and hybrid policies. Is it individual performance? Team collaboration? Innovation? Customer service?

Depending on your answers, different solutions may be necessary. In certain cases, individuals may need more frequent feedback or check-ins with their managers. Teams may need to schedule time together in-person or virtually more frequently. If service is suffering, an analysis of the reasons should occur before determining the appropriate fix. Supervisors and managers should be adequately trained to effectively handle the nuances of remote employees; don’t assume that these skills come naturally or can be easily acquired.

An adage jokes that management would be easy if it weren’t for people. Maybe, but today’s concerns about where, when, and how people work aren’t going away anytime soon. It’s worth the effort to work toward meeting your employees where they’re at and arriving at a destination that allows your organization to remain healthy and prosperous.

• Mary Lynn Fayoumi is president and CEO of HR Source in Downers Grove.