Businessman raises his hands to ask a question
Employers today know that flexible work is valued by workers. Prudentials Pulse Report on the American Worker Survey, 2021 87% of U.S. workersCOVID-19 workers who were working remotely preferred to work remotely at least once per week. This hybrid workplace model is a more preferable option than the in-and out approach we’ve come to know. The survey found that 68% of workers believe the hybrid workplace model is the best way to work.
Companies of all sizes could be costly by failing to adapt. 42% of remote workers polled stated that if they didn’t have remote work options after a pandemic, they would leave their jobs in search of one that does.
Considerations for hybrid work
Employees want flexible working arrangements. The question is how companies can make that happen. How can you make sure your company’s workplace model is a success for every employee?
The workplace is abuzz with discussions about how to best lead people in hybrid and remote settings. However, leaders may not consider how to make employees feel safe and secure when they return home from work in a hybrid environment.
In 2021 Harris PollSurvey found that 65% of U.S. workers feel concerned about the cleanliness of their workplaces when they return to work, and 58% want to see their workplaces focus more on cleanliness and sanitization as a result of the pandemic.
Before employees return to work, they must feel safe and comfortable in their offices. This will set them up for success in a hybrid model. These steps can help:
1. Make sure to invest in hygiene-promoting products throughout your office.
When it comes to keeping employees happy and healthy in the office, a few bottles of hand soap and a few boxes of tissues scattered around the office in early 2019 won’t cut it. Employees want to feel prepared to protect themselves and others against communicable diseases. Harris Poll shows that employees would like to see hand sanitizer stations (58%), hands free toilet fixtures (48%), as well as paper towel dispensers (35%), in their workplaces upon returning to work.
Although it is important to show employees that the company is doing all it can to keep them safe, you also need to give them some agency by investing in tools and supplies they can use in daily office tasks to help them stay safe.
2. Keep your cleaning process transparent and open.
Harris poll also showed that 44% respondents said they would like to see more communication regarding safety and cleanliness when they return to work. This is an article for CleanLinkBrian Miller, a MilliCare Floor and Textile Care business support specialist, points out that many of his facility clients have systems for recording and reporting cleaning.
He said that it could be a shared spreadsheet accessible online to BSCs (building services contractors) and tenants, or a logbook technicians can use to record their initials and timestamps where and when they cleaned specific areas.
To show employees that you and the company’s cleaning crew are committed to maintaining a clean environment, it is important to be transparent with cleaning procedures and practices.
3. Encourage communication, especially at the top of the corporate ladder.
Open communication is the key to a healthy corporate culture. If you are unable to give feedback on which methods are working, it is pointless trying to make employees feel more comfortable. Instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall until you get feedback, try to be more helpful. It seems You will be happier if you spend time understanding your work environment. Encourage employees and others to give feedback and voice their concerns. Make sure that you have systems in place to ensure that the feedback is received by the right people in order to effect change.
When employees decide when to speak up, their perceived ability to effect change and psychological safety are important. two main determinantsWhether they actually follow through. If you aren’t making it clear to your employees that you’re open to listening and implementing feedback, don’t be surprised if you get crickets back.
To make sure your employees feel heard and seen, highlight multiple communication channels. Even if they don’t have the best ideas, you can still connect with them by having a teachable moment about what is and what isn’t possible. Your employees will feel more at ease and will probably respect you more.
It is difficult for employees and business leaders to keep up with the ever-changing landscape. It is crucial to learn how to lead effectively through these changes, and other changes to come, in order to ensure that your company thrives into the future. But don’t forget to make sure that your employees feel safe.