june2022 - 17

THE STAFFING & HR ADVISOR
Return to the Office:
How to Ready Your Team for the New " Disruption "
IT'S HAPPENING: PEOPLE are starting to go back to the office regularly and in higher
numbers than we've seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PAUL McDONALD
Senior Executive Director
Robert Half
paul.mcdonald@cpapracticeadvisor.com
CPA firms are taking varied
approaches to the comeback. Some
have adopted a very hardline approach
and aren't even entertaining the
thought of a hybrid work model for
their employees. Other firms are keeping
things flexible about the " where " of
work for their staff members, at least
for now.
It will be interesting to see which
firms excel at attracting and retaining
top talent moving forward. A prediction:
Those that give their employees
time and space to adapt to this latest
disruption in their lives - the return
to the office - are likely to win out.
Those that formalize hybrid work or at
least allow their workers to maintain
a flexible schedule permanently will
probably fare even better.
You may be eager to see your firm's
office operating just as it was prior to
the crisis, but your employees might
be envisioning a different situation.
Consider a recent survey by Slack in
which 78% of workers said they want
flexibility with where they work, and
95% of workers reported they want flexibility
in when they work. Also, research
from Robert Half found that nearly half
of workers would quit their jobs rather
than return to work full time.
PUTTING EMPLOYEES FIRST CAN
PROMOTE A SMOOTHER RETURN
For more than two years, you've likely
been emphasizing to your employees
that " we're all in this together. " This
message is still important as your
team transitions to coming back to
the office either all or part of the time.
In many ways, this move represents
a whole new type of disruption and
uncertainty that your firm's staff will
need to adapt to.
Even those employees who are
excited about coming back into the
workplace may have some uneasiness
about what the experience will be
like. With that in mind, here are some
strategies to help your team members
make a positive and relatively seamless
return to the office:
STAY FLEXIBLE AND CONSIDER A
" ROLLING " RETURN
Many firms have been trying to pin
a date on the calendar as " Return to
the Office " day. But as the pandemic
has persisted, they've had to push
back their plans several times. This
has been exhausting for employees
psyching themselves up to come back
to work only to find they weren't going
anywhere.
Things are looking up, but the
pandemic could force a change again.
So, take it slow and keep things flexible.
You can still choose a specific date on
the calendar but make it for a " soft
return. " Tell your staff, for example,
that you'd like to see everyone come
into the office for a few days during the
first and second weeks of June - and
if people want to work at the office
more often, they are welcome to. This
will help ease the pressure and make
employees feel like they have control
to set the pace.
KEEP THE COMMUNICATION
LEVEL RUNNING HIGH
For team members who will be
maintaining a remote work arrangement
either all or part of the time,
make sure they're included in critical
meetings via videoconferencing or
conference calls and kept apprised
of in-office discussions and other
developments. This is critical, as you
don't want a divide to form between
your remote and in-office staff. And
as you hire new remote employees or
engage contract workers, make sure
they're brought into the loop quickly
so they feel included and can start
forging productive work relationships
with their teammates.
Also, be prepared to continue
touching base frequently with your
employees, as you've likely done
throughout the pandemic. Make sure
everyone knows you understand that
the return to the office will take some
adjustment, and you're available to
listen to their concerns if they're struggling.
Set up regular one-to-ones and
team meetings with your staff to keep
everyone focused and engaged and
decrease or increase the frequency of
these check-ins over time, as needed.
SHARE LEARNINGS AND IDEAS
- AND AMPLIFY PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
One silver lining of the pandemic experience
is that it has provided many of
your colleagues with an opportunity
to step up and assume more responsibility,
try new approaches, solve
problems and more. As your team
returns to the office and settles into
their new work routine, you don't want
to see their willingness to roll up their
sleeves, step out of their comfort zone
and take strategic risks fade.
Invite your staff members to share
any learnings from the pandemic work
experience that could help your new
hybrid work model succeed. Continue
to encourage them to " think outside the
box " and share their ideas for improving
existing processes and trying new
approaches. And be sure to recognize
and reward employees for these contributions,
especially if their ideas are
put into action.
The return to the office is also
an ideal time for your CPA practice
to increase opportunities for professional
development. For one, it can
entice workers to come back into the
office so they can take advantage of
these offerings in person. Professional
development can keep remote workers
engaged, too. Upskilling, reskilling,
technology training, mentoring relationships,
job rotation - these are all
ways to help build a learning culture
at your firm and ensure your workers
feel valued.
So, the overall message here is to let
your team's transition back to the office
happen as comfortably as possible.
There also has to be something positive
in it for them, aside from keeping
their job and earning a paycheck. You
will have to set some structure as you
ease into what will become your new
way of operating. But if you try to force
the process or expect to " flip a switch "
and simply return to how things were
before, your staff will likely resent it.
Then, you risk losing your employees'
trust, eroding their morale and productivity
and, possibly, seeing them
leave. ■
JUNE 2022 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
17
http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
june2022

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