Prepare for a power shift: Why employers' return-to-office plans may backfire

June 20, 2023 2:47 PM

As the labor market continues to dance, employers may currently feel like they have the upper hand over employees and job seekers. But wise leaders should use this time to make sure workers won't abandon their organization at the first sign of an economic power shift.

With employee engagement numbers low — only 32% are engaged at work, according to Zippia — and a continued focus on better work-life balance, employers will be hard-pressed to hang on to their talent if they don't put people first.

"The first step is to shift the philosophy and [stop] thinking about it in terms of an employer-friendly market or employee-friendly market, because then it's about a balance of power instead of a mutually beneficial relationship," says KJ Johnson, chief human resources officer at digital analytics software company Amplitude.

Much of the displeasure employees are feeling centers around a demand that they return to the office, therefore giving up some or all of the flexibility and work-life balance they previously enjoyed. A recent survey from LiveCareer shows that seven out of 10 employees expect flexibility to be an option, and one third believe it is the most important employee benefit. Meanwhile, data from The Conference Board reveals that out of 1,100 corporate executives, only 5% are planning to expand their hybrid work policies this year.

"The companies that survive and thrive going forward are going to be the ones that get dynamic or hybrid work right. What we as employers provide for employees, and what the employees bring to the table, shouldn't shift based on a power dynamic," says Johnson. "Trying to take advantage of that is where companies will go wrong."

Building a foundation of trust and offering employees what they truly want is what will create a positive pull, rather than a resented push from employers, Johnson says. Here are four ways to keep your teams engaged.

Find out how you could leverage technology at your organization to increase internal employee engagement rates with employee engagement software and tools.

Hear from employees

Following the decision to reduce their workforce by 13% in April, Amplitude's CEO set out on a roadshow to speak with employees about what they need. Instead of assumption-based decisions, Johnson emphasizes that feedback should drive changes within an organization, and data collected from the workforce should influence plans for how to retain talent.

"Too often employers tell people, 'This is what we've decided you want,' and HR departments are guilty of this as well," she says. "Go ask employees. It has never been more important in terms of timing."

Have open-minded leadership

From the CEO down, leadership must be willing to accept that the workplace is forever changed, says Johnson. Believing that all will be solved by bringing employees back into the office, for example, is a short-sighted view in the wake of much more complicated economic, political and societal issues. When employers request a small amount of in-person time, emphasizing its use for team-building, socialization, networking and collaboration, it can entice workers to come in rather than be seen as a power move, she says.

"In CEOs' minds, it's somehow, 'This world we're in must be related to people working remotely — everything's gone downhill,'" Johnson says. "If we had never experienced COVID, we would still be in the same macroeconomic environment we're in; we would still be facing a lot of the downturn that companies are experiencing. Employee connection is really important, and the powerful thing about doing it less often is people will come, because [they] want to spend time with other people."

Customize company schedules

An employee's in-office schedule should be specific to their function, Johnson says. This goes beyond simply assigning all members of the workforce a certain amount of days per week, but the noticeable respect for individual employee well-being will pay off. Flexible scheduling reduces job-related stress by 20% and increases satisfaction by 62%, reports Four Corner Resources.

"The important thing is when they're there, and when they leave at the end of the day, they think, 'That was really valuable,'" says Johnson. "To do that really well is complicated. It requires a lot of planning. You have to make sure leadership is bought in; they have to carefully think about function, the scope of work and what the deliverable is, and then you have to be very, very intentional regarding what those office days are about."

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Link plans back to company values

Though not every employee may agree that returning to the office is necessary, companies have the right to lay out expectations based on what they believe will drive success, Johnson says. Connecting these expectations to company values is a good way to bring people on board.

"Companies have an opportunity to reinforce what is unique about their culture. At Amplitude, our values are humility, ownership and growth, so everything we do is with that mindset," she says. It's a good time for companies to double down on that because it's very likely a reason people joined your organization to begin with — something resonated with them — and it's a good time to go back to the basics."