6 Ideas for a Successful Return to Office Plan

Remote and hybrid work have become the norm for thousands of businesses worldwide, but many organizations are now formalizing a clear return to office plan to bring employees back on-site in a thoughtful and strategic way.

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In recent research from Microsoft, 84% of employees said they would be motivated to go into the office if they could socialize with their co-workers. This comes as no surprise since we lost so much in-person, social connection over the last three years. An article in Harvard Business Review stated employee disconnection is one of the main drivers of voluntary turnover, with lonely employees costing U.S. companies up to $406 billion a year.

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Executive leaders must establish a clear and detailed return to office plan that explains when and why employees should be in the office while also addressing employee expectations, flexibility and wellbeing. A successful return-to-office plan demonstrates the organization cares about its employees, their wellbeing and their mental health.

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How can corporations rebuild workplace connections and engagement within their return to office plan? There are countless ideas, but let’s explore my top five.

6 Ideas Every Corporation Needs in Its Return-to-Office Plan

 1. Create Hospitality in Your Workplace

Progressive corporations are utilizing the new trend of ‘workplace hospitality’ in their return-to-office plans. These experiences are often led by Workplace Experience Manager roles whose sole purpose is to improve employee satisfaction and a big part of this is encouraging employees to come back into the office by providing them with the spaces, technologies, facilities and services they need to thrive at work. Premium workplace hospitality experiences take the best practices from the hotel and events industry and infuse them into the office environment by treating staff like customers. These premium workplace hospitality experiences have been found to strengthen an organization’s culture and improve employee retention.

 2. Make Space Booking Visible and Easy

Many return-to-office plans this year will include a hybrid office environment. Employees love the flexibility and control of working from home. Therefore, corporations need to provide that same flexibility and control of working from the office. One way to do this successfully is by having a self-serve, unified portal that simplifies finding and reserving shared spaces in the office. Modern event management software can centralize room scheduling, resource coordination and service requests into one streamlined experience for employees. Conference centers, meeting rooms and amenity spaces should all be easily searchable and reservable from one system. If you make online space booking hard, it’s going to be less likely your staff will want to continue to come into the office.

 3. Streamline Inventory Management

Part of building more connection and culture in the workplace involves increased collaboration and in-office activities. Therefore, make sure you not only have the necessary tools to conduct these types of in-office events, but you have a streamlined process for managers to request their inventory needs. The last thing you want is a manager running into a chair shortage for a team meeting or not being able to find an LCD projector. From A/V equipment, furniture arrangement and other essential inventory, it is those little meeting details that can make or break coming back into the office. A centralized system supported by venue management software can help track inventory, manage equipment requests and prevent resource shortages before they disrupt collaboration.

 4. Offer Online Food Ordering

There is the old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” And food-centric events are a strategy many corporations are incorporating into their return-to-office plans. While the food-delivery ecosystem has significantly changed and expanded since the pandemic, corporations need an efficient and effective way to streamline food ordering and delivery in the office. There are technology solutions designed for corporate facilities that will help you create the hospitality experience and simplify your office meal ordering, catering management, payments and more in one portal.

 5. Measure Your Effectiveness

After you have executed your return-to-office plan, don’t forget to measure the efficiency of your investment. While many corporate leaders recognize the need for measurement, few have access to real-time data that connects workplace usage to business outcomes. How can you capture data around hybrid vs. in-person meetings, space utilization or event trends that draw employees back on campus? Venue management software provides real-time analytics on space utilization, meeting trends and on-site engagement, allowing leaders to continuously optimize their return to office plan.

    6. Communicate Your Return to Office Plan Clearly

A successful return to office plan depends on transparent communication. Employees need clarity around expectations, flexibility, workplace policies and available resources. Leaders should:

• Outline hybrid work policies
• Provide clear scheduling guidelines
• Offer FAQs and ongoing updates
• Share metrics that show office value

Consistent communication builds trust and reduces resistance.

Ensure Your Return-to-Office Plan Is Successful

One thing is for certain, organizations will continue to evolve and adapt in the dynamic workplace with the flexibility that employees have come to expect. Innovative organizations will rely on corporate event management software and a single source of truth to support a scalable and measurable return to office plan.

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