Return to Office Done Right: Tips, Strategies, and Cautionary Tales

The debate over the return to the office remains divided, with opinions on whether to return—or in what capacity to return—split across the board. Regardless of whether the return is mandatory or voluntary, it will be doomed if the office experience is subpar. If the in-person environment fails to meet employees’ needs and expectations, it will inevitably lead to low morale and poor engagement, making it difficult to retain and attract top talent.

Whether you intend on fully reopening your office for all employees, opening it on a hybrid or voluntary basis, or are simply trying to encourage more employees to work on-site, your return to office strategy must be thought through, well-communicated, and designed around the needs of your workforce.

At Poppulo’s Engage ’24 Conference, Hannah Ubl, Founder of
Good Company Consulting, held a session on How to Make Your Return to Office Not Suck. In the session, she discussed how to get communications around the return to office right, the importance of preventing disparities between remote and in-office workers, and how to meet the expectations of on-site employees after years of remote work.

This guide summarizes the key takeaways from Hannah’s session, sharing tips that IC and HR professionals should consider as they plan the return to office, priorities to focus on, and cautionary tales to keep in mind.