4 Emerging Models for Return to Office

In recent weeks, many organizations have developed their strategies and plans for the “Return to Work”(RTW) or “Return to the Office”(RTO), a large percentage of which have created hybrid work plans. The plans are in response to research that shows employees want flexible work and on average want to work remotely three days a week. Additionally, research indicates that a large percentage of employees will go elsewhere if employers do not provide significant flexibility.

Over the past several months, I have been working with organizations as they develop their RTW and RTO plans, and I am seeing four main models evolve, although there is overlap among the four and there may be additional options:

1. Structured, top-down hybrid work plans
2. Manager/functional area-driven hybrid work
3. Employee-choice hybrid work
4. Flexible work

Let’s look at key characteristics.

1. Structured, top-down hybrid work plans: in this approach the organization develops strategy and detailed plans for RTO. Typically, an executive group, with input from employees and functional managers, creates the strategy, guidelines, policies and detailed plans (including logistical and location/site decisions) related to employees’ return to work.
   
   I am seeing this in a wide range of organizations, but this approach may work best for small to mid-sized organizations with few locations. The more locations you have, the more likely you are to see widely varying COVID responses across different geographies, calling for different types of plans. Some larger organizations with multiple sites in multiple cities are experiencing obstacles when they try to implement an across-the-board plan which may not fit in all geographies unless their guidance allows for a lot of flexibility.
   
   
2. Manager/functional area-driven hybrid work: with this approach, executive leadership provides guidance and policies, but allows the functional managers or location managers to create the hybrid plans for their employees. The thinking behind this model is that the managers and employees in each location or function know those processes and people best and can make the most sensible decisions related to processes and people. The only drawback may be managers who have little trust of their employees and may want all of them in the office every day. Strong guidelines in accordance with the desired company culture, and guidance from executive leadership is needed, and some managers may need training to improve their management skills.
   
   
3. Employee-choice hybrid work: in this model, employees choose their hybrid schedules and how often they will work remotely. There are some similarities between this option and the location/functional manager-driven solution above, as there must be some coordination provided by managers. There are typically a few days on which certain employees need to be in the office for particular meetings or functions. For example, an organization may want each employee in the office 5 days every month, but the employee chooses which days; however, all employees may need to be in the office for quarterly meetings.
   
   Related to this model, some leaders question: “If people get to choose when they come to the office, employees will invariably be having MS Teams or Zoom meetings from the office. How does that make sense?” For some leaders, this makes sense; their purpose for the office or RTW may be different from others’.
   
   
4. Flexible work: with this model, the RTW plan assumes a primary in-office focus, but with great flexibility. Most of the companies I am seeing with this RTW plan are companies that have been flexible all along. For example, one pharmaceutical client organization has no vacation policy and has not for years. This organization has strong recruiting processes, highly skilled employees, and clear performance expectations and accountability processes. In its RTW plan, the company assumes that employees will be in the workplace (how can they conduct scientific experiments from home) and will have clearly defined performance goals and measures. If employees achieve or exceed their performance goals and meeting their obligations to their teams, they have significant flexibility. Many employees will work from home a few days per month. Employees coordinate with their managers in making this work. For complex, longer-term decisions, this organization has a cross functional leadership team that weighs various options for employees with special circumstances. See my recent blog for more information on this model.

There are certain to be challenges with any one of these four approaches above. The success of the model your company creates will be dependent upon careful planning about processes, systems, feedback and accountability, performance expectations, and company culture.

For help with your Return to Work plan, or strategy-culture realignment, please contact us for a complimentary review of you plan or for a 60-minute strategy session. You may set a meeting, email me and follow or message me in LinkedIn.