Four tips to smoothe the transition back to working in the office
To be able to work at home, when and how you like: It's a dream wish that many employees have. But any number of employers, on the other hand, prefer to see their employees in the office.
For Hannes Zacher, professor of work and organisational psychology at Leipzig University, this is no surprise. Management often spends a great deal more time at the office and can accomplish leadership task better when present, he says.
"Managers also often have more privileges, such as larger offices or a great coffee machine. And therefore assume that everyone loves the office as much as they do," says Zacher. The trend towards more face-to-face work is likely to keep popping up for these reasons, among others.
How do employees find a good way of dealing with such decisions? The professor has four ideas.
1. More satisfaction with so-called job-crafting
Where once more an increase in presence at the workplace is required, employees must come to terms with the new rules. It helps to ask yourself: Why do I actually like remote working. Which aspects make it so pleasant for me? The answer might be more flexibility in working hours, or possibly the feeling of independence.
"Then, I can think about how this can be transferred to my work in the office," Zacher says. Often, you might be able to do some fine-tuning so that the work in the office is better suited to your own capabilities and needs: "We call this process job-crafting." The discussion also helps to change your own mindset when it comes to presence work.
2. Good organization of both remote and presence work
Research has found that it is recommendable to do a moderate amount of remote work, Zacher says. Two days of remote working a week would produce positive effects on job satisfaction and productivity. As to which days of the week are best for working at home is something where there has been little research, he notes. But as a rule, those days are not Monday and Friday.
"They give you the feeling of an extended weekend, but it's not motivating for work," says Zacher. Basically, it's important to find a good mix, both with regard to personal preferences and to what suits the team best.
Your own tasks are best organized so that they fit the surroundings. Personal interaction for example can take place in presence work, "on those days when you are also there (in the office)," the labour psychologist says. By contrast, quiet work often is done better at home.
3. Make flex-desks more attractive
In many offices, fixed work stations are a thing of the past, with employees now having to reserve a desk for their work in the office. "Research shows that such flex-desk models are not especially popular," Zacher says. This is where companies should do something to bolster the identification of employees with their workplace. For example, providing employees with a locker to store their personal items that they can place on their desk.
"Many people want a routine," the psychologist says. "What is good is if employees can reserve the same desk for several days in a row." Additionally motivating is that on presence days to have people nearby with whom to actually get along with.
4. Come up with good arguments for more time working from home
Those who wish to convince a manager about having more remote working days should give thorough consideration about what arguments they make. Zacher advises arguing on the basis of the tasks. For example when an employee emphasises how he or she can work on a report more quietly and with more concentration at home.
By contrast, social arguments such as "my colleagues bother me" are unfavourable. It's also not helpful is to argue that with remote work you can better coordinate your private life and job. The work-life balance in hybrid working is a question of self-organisation, Zacher says.
