On March 4, and for the second time in a week, President Biden encouraged workers to return to the office. The President said that “Americans can not only get back to work, but they can go to the office and safely fill our great downtown cities again.” The President’s exhortation followed a February 25 announcement from the CDC, which concluded that more than 70 percent of the U.S. population live in areas with low to medium levels of COVID-19. The agency also revised its guidelines to recommend that most Americans can go without wearing mask indoors.
Just because the authorities are encouraging a return to the office does not mean that it’s the right step for a specific employee. For those who are either considering a career transition or have started one, this is an especially good time to weigh the pros and cons of working at a company that requires or strongly encourages a physical return to the office.
After two years, it is tempting to settle into the routine of working remotely and staying at home. But if you want to make career decisions that are strategic, it is critical to understand your options. Consider these tips to help guide you in the transition process.
1. Evaluate what you will gain by returning to the office
Some positions were discovered during the pandemic to work well remotely, and workers may be reluctant to come back when they could do the job just fine from home. A 2021 Gallup poll shows a divide between what employees and CEOs want from an office return. The poll suggests that employees will not react well if employers articulate generalized reasons for requiring a return to the office. Those looking to change careers should be cautious about employers that state without elaboration that a job requires being in the office. Instead, look for employers that define what Gallup calls a “workplace value proposition” that outlines the benefits and advantages of working on-site.
Gallup points out remote workers tend to miss out on four key factors: workplace connections, collaboration, creativity, and company culture. Engaging in conversation with other staff can stimulate productivity and even quality of work. Discussing topics unrelated to work can also provide a lighthearted break from the work grind. Creative collaboration may prove to be more accessible with everyone in the same room. On-site workers can simply walk up to each other to ask for help and more hands-on explanations can be given for presenting ideas or navigating new software. Make sure that you factor in these benefits of returning to the office when considering your options.
2. Understand trends to find a good fit for you
There are enormous variations among employers in terms of what they are offering for your return. One of the trends we are seeing involves certain companies trying to transform the physical space of their office to make them more appealing.
A sports marketing firm in Chicago recently redesigned its lobby to feature a tunnel, scoreboard, and bleachers to make employees feel like pumped-up athletes when they come into work. Other in-house perks meant to boost their mood include an office bar fully stocked with free beer and bourbon for happy hours.
This type of renovation trend is more prominent in creative-type companies. A recent story featured on Yahoo describes Toronto-based ad agency FUSE Create, which is also changing its office design to better suit a hybrid style. The result will be fewer individual workspaces and more room for collaborative projects. In-person work at the office will now prioritize teamwork, while more independent tasks can be done remotely.
The fact that some employers are going to extreme lengths to change their office space is a good thing. For some, these changes will be appealing. For others, they will be inconsequential or even annoying. But more variation in work environments increases the chances that employees can find a good fit for them.
3. Take a critical look at how CEOs are justifying an office return
Some companies are emphasizing collaboration and connectivity to justify the return to the office. Aleena Mazhar, director of FUSE Create, says she hopes her office will become what she calls a “connective hub.”
“It’s a very team-based type of work. Relationships are big. So that connection, whether it’s with their peers or with their clients or even within their teams, just seems to be missing,” Mazhar said.
It is hard to determine whether this is just corporate speak. Talk of “connective hubs” might be the latest ways to describe cubicles. According to the Yahoo article, FUSE Create has roughly 70 employees, who will soon be required to come into the office one day per month. That kind of requirement suggests that FUSE Create employees may continue to work remotely. So focus more on what employers are doing than what they say.
4. Evaluate what is left unsaid
It’s all well and good to say that you can work from home and that hybrid arrangements are acceptable. But returning to the office may improve your chances for career advancement.
People who work in the office may have better access to more inside information, be more visible to their bosses and other decisionmakers, get better assignments, and otherwise get ahead faster.
Admittedly this can be a hard thing to evaluate, which brings us to the fifth and final tip.
5. The tail-end of the interview process is now more important than ever
Specifically, you have to take advantage of the phase of the hiring process when the applicant has the most bargaining power. That’s after you get an offer and before you decide to accept it. This is when you should ask the hardest questions, including how the employer handles performance reviews and salary increases. Will people who work in the office have a better advantage? Find out what the company is thinking about this issue before you start working there.
Likewise, it is more important than ever to try to track down folks who used to work at the employer and find out what their experiences were. LinkedIn has made finding former employees much easier to do.
Take these five tips into consideration when your employer asks if you can come to work in the office. Are the benefits worth it? Or would you still prefer to work remotely? Many CEOs are touting collaboration and creativity in shared space, but you can’t just rely on what employers are saying. You need to take a hard look at what you want, what the trade-offs are and most importantly collect the information that will help you reach a decision that is right for you and your career trajectory.
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