Return To Office: How To Attract Staff Back To The Office

The return to the office has been met with mixed feelings overall, with someworkers keen to stay home. But more and more companies are expecting workers to return to the office in some capacity, whether full-time or in a hybrid arrangement.

If companies are paying rent on office spaces that are largely empty, it can make sense that they’d want their headquarters bustling with staff once again. However, many are used to — and expect — a more flexible and hybrid approach to working.

Business owners and managers should be realistic and offer the choice to return to the office. But there are some things you can offer to make the commute much more worth it.

Choose the Right Location

If you want to get workers back to the office, you should choose the right location. Where your office is based is a fundamental factor that needs to be considered. Because working from home is often much more convenient than returning to the office, the location needs to be in the right place for both an easy commute and a great local experience. If your lease is almost up and you’re looking to move, or if you’re rethinking your current space in order to create a better employee experience, the location should be your top priority.

Transport options

It should go without saying that transport options are key. It should be relatively easy to get to your office, otherwise few people will be inclined to make the journey on a regular basis. Offer options for all transport types, such as car parking, cycle storage, and being in close proximity to at least one train station.

Local amenities

If you’re expecting your employees to make the journey into the office, it’s a good idea to ensure that there’s an active local community. Consider not just the office, but what’s around it, whether it’s a gym, high street of shops or a buzzing nightlife. Allow your teams to make the most of their journey to the office with options to balance their work and social life. After all, being in a comfortable and fun area is crucial to enjoying a full office.

Invest in Business Perks

As well as having an office that’s easy to access, you should also think about the types of amenities offered in your office. One of the biggest reasons many businesses opt for a serviced or flexible office space is due to the fact that these office providers handle all these office amenities for you.

If you’re looking for a new office and are interested in going down the flexible office route, our team will be more than happy to discuss the different benefits and amenities available in each location, so you can easily find the one that’s best suited to your business.

Some perks you can offer, however, include investing in employee wellbeing when they’re in the office. Subsidising travel with season ticket loans or through a cycle-to-work scheme can do wonders in helping employees think twice about working from home indefinitely, while regular team lunches or takeaway breakfasts may be the final flourish to a full office. How often you do this is up to you, but it's certainly worth considering.

An early finish on Friday and allowing for social activities could also be a fun way to both reward workers and encourage them to come back to the office. While this may be daunting at first, put a focus on creating a culture that rewards teams with social activities. This is also a great way to bring the team together and can naturally lend itself to building a cohesive team.

Flexible Start and End Times

Arguably the most significant benefit of working from home is the convenience. For many workers, this time allows them to cut their daily commute to zero, allowing for more time with the family or dedicated to personal lives, and less time spent waiting for trains or in traffic. Allow employees the chance to retain this work-life balance with flexible working.

This allows your teams to have greater control over when they start and end the working day, as long as core working hours remain the same and productivity is unaffected. This could mean they’re able to completely miss the rush hour times — often with peak prices — saving them money and providing a smooth commute.

If your office is based in a serviced office, or you’re looking to these flexible workspaces as a viable option for your business, you’ll be happy to know that opening and closing times are operated by the office provider itself. This means you won’t have to worry about opening the office in the morning, nor will you have to be in charge of locking up and securing the office at the end of the day. You and your team will generally be allowed to come and go as you please — within reason.

Regular Team Meetings

Transparency is key for successful businesses, now more than ever. So why not keep your employees in the loop of everything going on with the business with a regular team meeting? Share business updates, personnel changes and even future plans with the team, and allow everyone to have their say — and make an effort to take feedback on board.

If your employees feel listened to, and that any concerns or ideas are being considered, they’ll be more likely to attend these meetings and more. If people have a reason to come back to the office, they'll accept the decision much quicker.

Your Next Office With Knight Frank

If you want to find an office solution that works for you, your business and your employees, get in touch with the team today. Knight Frank is an expert in finding flexible office spaces at excellent rates, and at no extra cost to you.