As operations leaders across the world stumble and struggle to figure out their “return to work” strategies, I have been reflecting on the nature of the fundamentally collaborative work we do in software development and what it will look like in this new world.  I don’t know what the post-Covid world of work will look like.  But I do know that it will be different and leaders who just try to rest to how things were a year ago are going to be in shock as their employees chose to move to more flexible companies.  So, what do we need to think about as we balance collaboration with employee desire?

Remote work is a benefit, revoking it will have consequences.

While most companies didn’t move into remote work a year plus ago because they were trying to add an employee benefit, that is, in fact, what they did.  Now that employees have gotten an opportunity to work remotely, and for the most part successfully, many will view any change to the remote work policy as the removal of a benefit.  In a lot of workplaces, the right to work remotely was previously reserved for special situations where an employee may want to move across country and the employer desperately wanted to retain that employee.  Now you have the same situation but in reverse.  Employees that choice to make a blanket policy that requires all employees to return to the office, even if only a few days a week, will see turn over.  The presentation of how this return to the office is conducted, and how much agency the employees have in their return, will also affect retention.  As part of your plan, consider retention goals along side other goals like productivity, collaboration, and team unity.  Figure out what you want to measure and what your most important goals are.  For some employees, the ability for managers to be able to work with their staff in person may be a worthwhile tradeoff for significant turn over.  However, just as furloughs, pay reductions, or other benefit reductions will result in employee exits, the same will happen here.  Also remember that the employees that leave first are most often the most talented as they can most easily find other work.

Employee opinions matter

Along that same line, asking employees what they want should be part of your policy strategy.  Rolling out a new return to work policy without conducting a visible employee feedback process will result in lash back, no matter if the employees agree with the ultimate policy or not.  Especially coming at the end of a year where everyone has lost a sense of control in their own life, most people will not take kindly to being told what they will do instead of being consulted in their own destiny.

Also consider that each employee has different goals, work/life balance needs, and work styles that will contribute to their optimal workplace environment.  There is no one size fits all approach.  Policies that declare a certain job family or group of people based on location of their homes will be required to work in the office while giving blanket approval to continue remote work for another group will be seen as unfair or ill considered.  Yes, it is much easier to make policies that apply across the board.  However, leaving room for manager discretion, especially for high performing individuals, is essential.  This isn’t just a matter of retention; it is also a matter of inclusion and diversity.  Different people work, process information, have interactions in different ways.  There differences between people is part of what allows serendipity to happen, not just being in the same place at the same time.  Honor those differences by honoring individual needs.

Identify tradeoffs based on work style and actively mitigate

There are pros and cons to each interaction style.  Fully remote individuals need to work hard to collaborate and consciously build relationships that may naturally develop by bumping into someone at the watercooler.  In office individuals can find it harder to concentrate or to find quiet to work in and be easily distracted by the talk around the watercooler.  Everyone needs to find ways to balance between time at work and time at home regardless of if they are physically in the office or not.  It is overly simplistic to say that people in the office have better connections to their coworkers or people who work remotely focus better.  Everything takes work and it is up to both the individuals and the organization to help employees perform their best regardless of where they work.  Collaboration tools and video helps remote employees feel more engaged.  Sound buffeting and focused spaces help in office employees feel like they can get “heads down time”.

In addition, hiring a remote workforce allows you access to a larger pool of candidates, no matter where your office may be located.

Remote friendly is now the standard

Regardless of your return to the office plan, more likely than not you will now have employees who will remain full time remote.  There was a general trend towards remote friendliness before Covid and now, as with all things in the last year, that trend has accelerated.  This means that a remote friendly office is no longer an option.  You must put cameras in your conference rooms, include collaboration tools in your budget, and be prepared to help manager navigate productivity discussions with employees they can’t see typing on their computers.  However, remote friendliness is more than just how you make sure your remote team members can be part of conversations.  It is also making sure all employees, regardless of where they work, feel like they are part of the team.  Time has to be taken to think about these things.