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Ready or not, your boss has told you that the time for everyone to return to the office is rapidly approaching. Yikes!
As more and more people get vaccinated, it’s clear that the pendulum is swinging back to the pre-Covid era, and that means some type of return to “the office” for employees who were fortunate enough to continue working from home through the pandemic. When, what, and how is the latest debate. For most employees, the dream of working remotely is coming to an end.
Few people have ever had to come up with a checklist of how to deal with something like this before and there are no standard rules or ways of going about it. Each company will decide for itself how to proceed and there may be a period of trial and error before settling on the most productive path forward.
As you can probably surmise, employees hold varying and conflicting opinions on critical issues related to returning to the office, many of which may be in direct opposition to whatever model a company chooses, including being back in the office full time. You’ll need to make your own preparations; here are some suggestions for how to get ready for the “new normal” – whatever that may mean.
Adapt your mindset. You enjoyed the advantages of working from home but are now faced with the announcement that you are expected to return to your company’s office. You’ll be expected to be on board with the transition. If you’re not, your resistance will be noticed, so pretend if need be! Management will expect employees to adapt without (or at least, minimal) complaint.
Be flexible, nimble, and agile. The move back to the office is evolving. The “new normal” you are initially told to expect may change direction over time. For example, some companies plan to try a hybrid model at first, then re-assess. You may be back for only a short time before you’re told to be back in the office full time every day. If something goes wrong (e.g. an outbreak), the reverse is possible. You may return to the office only to learn you will be going back home for a while as workplace protocols are reimagined.
3Speak to your manager. Get ahead of the transition by having a conversation with your manager about the new workplace requirements as well as what your position will really look like once you’re back in the office. Most likely, it’s not going to be the way it was before with the simple addition of hand sanitizer. The way your office functions has a direct correlation to the way your work will be conducted. For example, if you’re part of a hybrid model, what are the textures and expectations of days in the office vs. days at home?
Maximize your presence during your time in the office. No matter how many days you are in the office per week, be visible, available, and diligent. Remote employees tend to be forgotten (sorry, it’s true), so maximize your presence when you’re there. Strengthen your co-worker relationships and collaborations as you all learn to navigate new safety requirements and new ways of doing the work together. Any systemic change presents opportunities for you to step out and shine.
Prepare to make your own career assessment and act accordingly. Since this is a fluid, dynamic situation you don’t exactly know how things will be until you are doing them. If you return to the office and you do not like whatever version of the new normal has been pursued, it is difficult to imagine a scenario where you can negotiate yourself back to working from home every day. Be ready to search for new opportunities that align with your desires.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.
