Companies like Amazon and Dell, amongst many others, are pushing their employees to return to the office five days a week. The return-to-office conversation has become incredibly polarized, with viewpoints ranging from required work-from-home all the way to an enforced full-time return.
But does a mandatory return-to-office policy really inspire action and positive outcomes? Organizations should engage with their employees to create belonging, build alignment and drive action. This is where the power of communications comes in.
What Is RTO (Return to Office)?
The return-to-office conversation involves resuming a five-day, in-office workweek that resembles the one common to the pre-Covid workplace. Large companies like Amazon and Dell are mandating such a return, which has proven controversial given the proliferation and popularity of remote work. Advocates say in-office work boosts productivity, while detractors cite a lack of trust and flexibility inherent in the RTO mandate.
Why Employee Communications Matter
Rather than enforcing policies that mandate employees to commute to work every single day, companies should have a more holistic, long term view of their employee relations. According to the Employee Communication Impact Report that was published this summer, only 37 percent of employees report being very happy in their jobs.
Full-time return-to-office mandates might be a way for organizations to gain a perceived sense of control around productivity, but they also send a message that you have little trust in your employees and offer them low flexibility. This employee satisfaction statistic should be of concern when we know that employees are seeking more autonomy and empowerment in corporate cultures, not less. In fact, employees have a great deal of interaction with the corporate culture they’re immersed in, and communications and engagement are a critical part of meeting their needs. Moreover, 61 percent of employees state that poor company communication is a reason they’re considering changing their jobs.
Poor communications not only impacts employees’ levels of happiness, but also employee engagement and loyalty. Multiple studies and reports show that, when employees believe in and are aligned with the goals of their companies, they have significantly higher senses of belonging and better overall engagement and motivation.
That’s why companies must double down on their efforts when it comes to employee communications. The goal must be to create clarity and inspire actions that are outcome-focused so that employees feel aligned to the mission of the company and the culture they’re a part of. Delivering a distracting return-to-office narrative isn’t worth the risk of creating disengaged employees or losing talent.
The High Cost of Poor Communication
Employees must trust in their company’s mission. It’s probably even more important that they understand their roles in helping their companies achieve their goals.
Only 46 percent of surveyed employees say that they’re familiar with their organizations’ goals and visions. This discrepancy is not only detrimental to workforce morale, but ultimately to the company’s results and bottom line.
So, we should ask how we can ensure that employees are aligned with their company’s mission and strategy. Clear and inspiring communications that reaches, engages and aligns employees is the most logical solution. Notably, this style of engagement doesn’t require employees to be physically present at work everyday.
Although creating effective communications and delivering them through the right channels is a good place to start, companies often fall short when it comes to engaging a key stakeholder: the manager or supervisor.
The Critical Role of Supervisors in Communications
In the survey, 56 percent of employees said that they fully trust their managers. The role of direct supervisors is often underestimated in companies: Many prioritize communications from leaders at the top or from HR.
As CHRO myself, I have to say, this isn’t always the right approach. Coaching middle managers and empowering them to deliver high quality, authentic and timely communications is key to boosting employee morale. Leadership and HR communications can support this endeavor, but nothing beats a good conversation with a direct supervisor.
Having in-person office days can definitely help here. When this is mandatory and happens too often, it can be counterproductive. Instead, you should place more emphasis on spending resources training and guiding team managers and trusting them to convey information in an authentic and timely manner. This is especially important given the importance employees place on trusting the information they receive from their direct manager or supervisor.
Rethinking Internal Communications
Impromptu water cooler conversations and in-person meetings can boost morale and drive significant collaboration in most organizations, and ensuring your team is in-person when it matters most is still important. The message around mandatory five-day return-to-office has several incorrect assumptions, however.
Instead of pushing for a policy that only delivers short term outputs, the main focus should be on employee motivation, retention and organizational outcomes. Using communications to convey clear, transparent messages and empowering team managers to motivate their employees is imperative.
Companies need to recognize the critical role that effective communication play in retaining talent and boosting morale. To thrive in this new landscape, we must be humble and honest in how we address gaps in communications and how that can truly impact employee engagement and retention.
