While many businesses and their leaders are eager to switch back to a pre-COVID office routine, the working landscape has shifted significantly, so there’s been push-back from employees.

Indeed, companies and employees are often finding themselves at differing ends of the spectrum, so much so that 8 in 10 employers missed out on securing talent due to return-to-office mandates, and 75% of HR managers stated they were a cause of workplace disagreements.

This prompts a crucial question: are there other, win-win ways to draw employees back to the office that companies could explore?

In my opinion, there is. Businesses should see this as the time to invest in their workspaces, and create an atmosphere that boosts productivity, collaboration, engagement, and wellbeing, available in different office spaces in different assets and locations to allow a short and easy commute.

Fact: top talent love flexibility

It’s no secret that employees laud the numerous benefits of flexible work arrangements – improved work-life balance, less commuting stress, and the flexibility to decide whatever working environment boosts their productivity.

We know that attracting top talent means leaning into what employees want. The modern workforce has come to expect flexibility, and for that reason, retracting it can have negative consequences, as aforementioned, for employers.

Flexible work arrangements are also a vital part of promoting a diverse working environment. To elaborate, they are key to accommodating the needs of all employees, who will all have different circumstances. Whether that is geographic, caregiving, or accessibility-related, allowing employees to set their own agendas widens the talent pool and harbours a more equitable, representative workforce.

Transfer your attention to your workplace

It’s important that companies focus their attention on why employees aren’t coming to the office, and what measures they can take to make their workspace more inviting.

Firstly, a modern workspace needs to be designed to meet the needs of today’s workforce. A successful office isn’t a place employees are obliged to be; it’s somewhere they look forward to going. Enriching employee work experience and enhancing the quality, not quantity, of in-person interactions are, therefore, the key metrics of a successful workspace.

Flexible, hybrid workspaces are one approach to meeting these requirements. They say variety is the spice of life – well, the office is no different. A workplace that offers quiet areas to work from, bigger spaces for projects and meetings that require collaboration, or more relaxed zones for the necessary informal catchups gives employees options to suit their current needs. These spaces can also accommodate events or morale-boosting team activities that make employees feel part of a community.

When companies choose their office space, the health and well-being of employees should also be a top priority in combatting any reluctance to attend. Picking a great location can tackle the long-standing stress of the early morning and late evening commute, while in-office features such as an abundance of natural light, ergonomic furniture, and on-site wellness rooms can give productivity a welcome boost.

Taking a new path

Flexible working has had an extremely positive effect on employees’ lives, and it’s important to recognise that it can go hand in hand with increased office attendance. The key is to adapt to new realities and not hark back to old ways of working.

Companies which wholeheartedly embrace the flexible, hybrid future of work and approach office attendance holistically will be ready to retain and attract top talent, foster the best working environments, and maintain the highest levels of productivity.