Inside PR 548 (Jun 16, 2021)

Once they've tasted freedom, it's hard to take that away. It's not what I want as an employer; it's what you want as an employee.

Has your boss told you that you have to return to the office fill time? Part-time? Have they talked about flex work? Or even held out the prospect of working remotely on an ongoing basis?

And how do you feel about this? Do you want to return to the office? Full-time? A few days a week? Or do you want to continue to work remotely?

What are the things that you liked and valued about working from the office? What are the benefits of working at home?

Gini, Martin and Joe talk about mistakes that employers are making in the post-lockdown period. High-knowledge, high-skill workers have discovered the freedom of being able to choose where they work - and with the end of the lockdown, many of them will be thinking about what they want to do, and realizing that they have choices. So, the employer who informs their staff that they must return to the workplace full-time may discover that many of their workers not only don't return, but actually leave.

As with many other key decisions, success in bringing employees back to the office will turn on effective communications. And effective communications starts with listening, understanding others' interests and objectives. And then speaking to their concerns, not just blustering forward with what you want and care about.

So, this week, let's talk about effective communication for the post-pandemic return to the office.