With the direction of the world, some employees are able to return to the office. We want to make sure all employees can have a great time back in the office, or for their first time in-office. There are many ways to create a fun work environment and even though it can be hard to switch back from working at home, it’s still doable.
Moving Back to Offices
Many companies are heading either back to the office or taking a hybrid approach. This is because of the availability of employees and the ease of forming better work environments. There are many concerns to moving back in-office, but there are some great ways to avoid the larger concerns like:
97% of employees want changes to make them feel safer at work
99% of companies are planning sweeping changes to the workplace as a result of COVID-19
94% of companies say the technology would benefit them by providing a safer work environment
Even with the challenges above, you can still make the in-office environment fun to come back to.
Keeping a Focus on Employees
In recent times, employees have gotten used to being at home and having significantly more flexibility rather than workplace structure. You should keep your employees more in the front of your mind and ensure that they are feeling comfortable.
Offer a Hybrid Transition
It may be better for your employees to slowly switch from remote working back to in-office. So, offering a hybrid transition or possibility can allow for them to be in the office for a specified time or days per week while allowing them to continue to their workflow at home.
Having Mental Health Times & Spaces
With the transition being scary to many employees, allowing them to still focus on their own mental health can go a long way. This can make your employees feel safer in the work environment and you can go the extra mile to set up a relaxation room in the office with yoga mats or meeting tables for employees to talk and relax for a bit.
Flexible Hours
Allowing your employees to have some flexibility with their hours can keep them productive, but still keeps their mental health in mind. While many people have gotten used to working very different hours from 9-5, it might be better to allow for a schedule that can match your employee’s needs.
We suggest talking to your employees to see what they want in a schedule and work environment.
Fun In-Office Activities
There are so many great activities you can set up for your team in-office. Most of which will have everyone engaged and assist with team building. Here are some of our favorite activities:
A Scavenger Hunt
This is an absolutely classic activity. If you have a big office space you could do a scavenger hunt inside or you can hope for a beautiful day and do it outside.If some employees are not from the area, it’s a great way to get to know what’s around the office space.
Cooking Fun
Cooking or baking can be a great way to learn about hidden talents or cultural differences. You can do a cooking or baking competition or you can do a cooking class if you have a small team. With either activity you get the chance to see some of your empolyee’s skills and do some team building at the same time.
Game Tournament
You can do a poll to see your staff's favorite game and get a tournament started. It could be a board game, video game, or a mixture of the two. You could also incentivize game nights with employees off the clock. This could help strengthen relationships between employees and even build them from the ground up.
Trivia Nights
You know that we love trivia, it’s in the name. You can get everyone together in the office and do an office trivia night, going out as a group, or going home and having an event with us. In all seriousness, trivia is a great way to test your brain while getting to know coworkers.
Karaoke Time
It doesn’t really matter if anyone can sing, it’s just about having a good time. When you have a karaoke night, it can bring people out of their shells and get everyone having a good time. We will say that this does work better with more extroverted groups because they tend to be more open to public activities.
Besides the activities, there are other things you can do to welcome everyone back to the office too.
Making Changes
One thing that can make employees excited to come back is changing the company culture. If employees don’t want to return immediately or if they are hesitant, it could mean that they were not a fan of the company culture.
If you are making changes to your company culture, it can help draw them back to the office if they prefer remote working. Here are some easy changes to implement:
Focusing on Communication
You still want to make sure all your employees are well informed and you have contact with employees easily. You still need to make sure that your in-office employees can communicate with remote employees.
Updating Equipment
Many employees working from home may have more access to better technology or the ability to use their own technology to be more efficient while working. You may want to supply your team with better in-office equipment to keep employees happy.
Lack of Hovering
Some management can want control over their employees and may have a watchful eye over their shoulder. When management does this, it can feel like a lack of trust in their employees. So when they return, as management, you can try to let them be more independent since they have been capable of doing so while working remotely.
Conclusion
There are some major concerns for employees coming back to the office, but there are a few things you can do to help ease them back into it. You can make certain changes to company culture if employees are hesitant to return, have activities to get everyone involved, and you can offer a hybrid approach to coming back.
Our TriviaHub team-building activities work great for fully distributed or hybrid teams. If you want to create an activity with us for your team, get started with just the click of a button.