Best areas for businesses to focus on post-covid
Over the past year, one word no one has been able to escape is ‘covid’. It’s not only affected our personal lives, but our professional lives too, with many of us being forced to work from home for months on end, with no real end in sight.
Finally the Prime Minister has laid out a road map, giving us all dates to write down and look forward to. One of these events some will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of is employees returning back to the office.
It’s crucial that businesses manage the return to work in the best way possible, taking each individual’s needs into consideration. For some the day can’t come soon enough, ready to get out of looking at the same four walls every day. But for others, returning to the office looks to be an intimidating experience.
With this in mind, here we’ve highlighted key areas for businesses to focus on post-covid lockdown, making sure the return to the office is smooth sailing, with everyone feeling as happy and calm as possible…
Safe return to work
One of the most important parts of bringing staff back to work is keeping them safe. This could mean a staggered return for some, allowing those in the office to stay socially distanced. Keeping the working environment clean will also help employee’s feel safe and put their minds at ease, allowing them to focus on their work.
Offering hand sanitisers and encouraging employees to wear masks away from their desks, until the government say they’re no longer necessary, could be another step taken to keep employees safe and healthy when they return to the office.
Working from home will mean many have had to work from bedrooms or in between home schooling their children, meaning they won’t have had the correct set up. Because of this, ensuring employees workstation are set up correctly will be key in their smooth return to the office.
Teamwork and communication
Teamwork and communication are two aspects which working from home lack. What used to be working together in the office, becomes zoom calls and those ‘quick chats’ you have in the office turn into long drawn-out emails.
On the return to the office, ‘face to face’ time should be a big priority. Encouraging teamwork is crucial to getting employees to feel comfortable again and reigniting the spark that keeps the business alive.
Collaboration is another part of the working day you take for granted until you’re working at home alone and there’s no one else to bounce your ideas off. There’s also a lack of understanding what is happening elsewhere in the business, as the communication between teams is significantly reduced.
When returning to the office, making sure each team communicates with one another and holding frequent meetings to discuss ideas is vital in making sure the business and its employees continue to gel.
Mental health and wellbeing
The world with covid has been a daunting and draining time for everyone and people’s mental and physical health is now more important than ever. On your employee’s return to work, in order to get them to perform their best, you need to ensure they’re feeling at their best, mentally and physically.
At ‘The Property Buying Company’, a company gym has been installed for all employees to use post-covid, showing how important they feel their employee’s health is. Although a gym is firstly thought of to help our physical health, regular exercise is also found to have a positive impact on our mood, whilst also helping to relieve stress and improve sleep.
Once covid allows, businesses could encourage employees to get together on an evening after work or over the weekend to take part in a health and wellbeing class. This won’t just look out for employee’s health but also ensure the team bonds are being restored, which in turn will make working in the office feel a more friendly and enjoyable environment again, helping employees to achieve their best.
Flexibility
Although a lot of people won’t have enjoyed working from home and can’t wait to get back in the office, there will be others who have enjoyed the opportunity to work in the comfort of their own home. Businesses should be aware of this and be flexible in allowing some employees to continue working from home, whether this be a few days a week or a more full-time long-term arrangement.
Being flexible to some workers working from home, will also allow the business to hire the best employees, as they’re able to work from further afield, benefiting both the business and the individual.
Bring back excitement
Working from home for long periods of time can lead to workers becoming fed up and demotivated. On their return into the office, it’s important to bring some excitement into every day, making working more enjoyable again.
This could be something small like setting individuals’ small targets and celebrating their ‘little wins’. You could introduce little competitions or things to look forward to, like ‘cake Fridays’. People work best when they’re enjoying themselves and putting a smile on everyone’s face has never been more important.
Social aspect
Working from home can cause employees to feel isolated and detached from their work friends and colleagues. This makes it a key area to focus on for the return back to the office.
It could be a good idea to encourage staff to take lunches at the same time, allowing them to regain and strengthen the bonds they had pre-covid. Also, when the government allows it, the business could organise social events, whether that be an outing to a beer garden or a fun activity. This won’t just boost everyone’s social life but will also boost the moral which in turn will benefit the business – as we said earlier, people do their best work when they feel good.
It’s also key to remember that everyone will adjust at different paces. Whilst some may want to get straight back into socialising ASAP, others may take a bit more time. Being sensitive to those who do take longer to adjust is another key area to focus on when returning to the office, maybe offering an area that employees can use as a ‘time out’ to stop them feeling overwhelmed.
Whether as a business you decide to focus on one or all of these areas, the most important point remains the same – employee’s health and happiness comes first. Without this, they’re not going to get their best from work and you’re not going to get the best from them.