HR Magazine – How to Manage Change in Remote Work Without Having to Replace Talented Employees

Perhaps you deeply believe that people need to interact with each other to be most productive. But would you ban employees from working from home if it meant older workers had to leave the company?

Whatever your views, one thing is clear. As leaders, we must tread carefully and learn as we go. Taking a firm stance and immediately lifting remote work rules will likely have negative consequences.

Read more: Confusion over fines: the fight to get back to the office

People have become accustomed to the benefits and flexibility of working from home. And many won’t give them up without a fight. In fact, a third of executives say they would leave if they were no longer allowed to work from home, a sobering finding from Gartner.

As more companies order a return to the office, leaders must plan ways to lessen the impact on operations.

Sailing in rough waters

We see leaders taking different approaches to office work in 2024 – some more radical than others. Some companies are ordering employees to return to the office full time. Others, such as Dell, have told employees they can continue to work remotely but should not expect a promotion.

This puts employees in a difficult situation. People who want to develop themselves and at the same time increase their salary resort to “job hopping” – that is, jumping from one job to another – to get a promotion.

Throwing the dice

STaff may feel forced to plan his career like a game of snakes and ladders, which can impact productivity levels.

Read more: Half of parents are considering leaving work due to work commitments

The ladder is that employees are forced to return to the office without a clear explanation of how that benefits the company. Or, in Dell’s case, people are penalized for working remotely. Mid- and senior-level employees are starting to move up and down the career ladder, changing jobs more frequently.

Then there are the “snakes”: unclear and inconsistent management practices that leave employees confused about where they stand. This type of anxiety leads to decreased productivity and engagement. And then more people leave, taking their ideas with them.

How to deal with a relapse

My most important advice is to not make promises you can’t keep. Telling employees they now have to work in the office will feel like a U-turn, even if the rules aren’t set in stone. A breakdown in trust between employer and employee has devastating consequences for employee engagement, motivation and retention.

Read more: Nationwide’s return order backfires as court faces £350,000 bill

But when If you need to make the transition to remote work, here’s my advice on how to do it without alienating senior managers or disrupting succession planning.

• Communication and clarity are everything: Avoid whispers by keeping the conversation two-way. Work with your internal communications team to keep the messages on track.

• Be human: admit when you are wrong.

• Make a case: Use facts and figures to support your decision, for example by explaining that face-to-face collaboration is integral to innovation.

• Give people time: let them understand what the changes will mean for them.

• Create a plan to help people mitigate any losses: From childcare to commuting costs, this can really disrupt employees’ lives. Work with them to reduce the impact.

Read more: Forced return to work carries legal risks

It’s important to act in the best interests of your business, but that includes understanding the views of your employees. In the long run, when a change in the stock market will provide the expected benefits, make sure you shout about it. And shout it loudly. It’s important that people understand why these changes had to be made to benefit the business.

It also means that the next time you are forced to make such a decision – no matter how unpopular it may be – you will gain much more support.

Author: Ben Stocken, Founder and CEO of team performance specialist West Peak