Many businesses have realised that remote work is a viable option for their teams, and they are now focusing on employee engagement, as well as finding new meaning in work. Those who embrace the changes coming their way will be the ones to lead the new world of work. (Free e-book at the end of this article.)
One of the critical elements in leading the new world of work is mastering the reboarding process. Reboarding is the process of employees entering and re-engaging in the workplace. Your teams might be completely back in-person, in a hybrid model or fully remote. No matter your situation, you can be better prepared for this process by remembering the three Rs of reboarding.
Your workplace is undergoing an extreme change right now, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. People are looking for stability, normalcy and support in their lives, wherever it is available. If you make your workplace a foundation of your company values, your employees will appreciate that effort and return it to you in their work.
Take this reboarding period as an opportunity to correct any core issues within your organisation. Did your team struggle with miscommunication in the past? Is your company culture and vision not fully realised? Do you wish you could level up your leadership pipeline within your own team? Now is your fresh start. Take this time to listen to your team, establish an open dialogue about changes and improvements, and then make those changes!
Communication needs to be a top priority right now. Does your team have a way to contact everyone in your company? Are you providing opportunities for town hall style meetings to allow everyone to float new ideas, voice frustrations and connect with each other?
Connecting doesn’t have to be in-person! Increase one-on-one calls with direct reports to make sure everyone feels supported. Offer “skip levels” as well. (These meetings connect workers with their bosses’ boss and allow for transparency and accountability.) Offering the opportunity for a skip level meeting may increase trust in your team.
Engagement levels have remained steady to high, which may be a sign that businesses have responded well to the pandemic, or perhaps those polled were feeling grateful to have a job. Either way, it does indicate that your organisation is well-positioned to make unforeseen progress with reasonably good engagement.
Use this opportunity to invest in your team while internally building your talent pipeline. Develop your team through the use of psychometric assessments, coaching and mentoring.
What happens next is up to you. Will you take this time as an opportunity to improve your organisation beyond anything you could have dreamed of? It’s up to you to decide!
Thanks to our partner, TTI Success Insights Australia & New Zealand, we’re pleased to offer you this free e-book: Reboarding in the Workplace.