During the pandemic, people were forced to adapt to working from home to the point where some employers are now struggling to get their teams back to the office. However, being together in the same place at the same time still has its benefits.
Here are some reasons why having a hybrid work arrangement with ‘contact days’, as they are now called, makes sense.
Strengthening relationships
Getting your team together in the office gives them the chance to establish and strengthen personal connections that are difficult to form over email or video conferencing. There’s nothing like face-to-face, human interaction and spur-of-the-moment ‘watercooler conversations’. Encourage people to mingle and chat in an informal way during contact days, for example by following the Swiss tradition of Fika and having morning tea together.
More effective communication
Email and text messages can be misinterpreted. When people meet in person it is much simpler to ask questions, clarify information and share immediate feedback.
Contact days can accelerate decisions and help projects to move forward. If everyone is in the office on the same days, it will be easier to schedule in-person catch-ups.
Building trust
Trust is a critical element in any relationship, including professional ones. The ability to see another’s body language and other non-verbal cues when you meet in person is invaluable. This is particularly important in business, where trust between colleagues, partners, and customers is essential for success.
Your team will trust each other more when they are able to interact in person. Having contact days will also give people an idea of who isn’t right for the business because their behaviour doesn’t reflect the culture or values.
If your people can’t connect in person regularly because some are in different states or countries, see what you can do to arrange an annual retreat.
Personal and professional development
Contact days are also the best time for personal and professional development. Many companies are now using training, workshops or professional speakers as a way to entice people to the office once or twice a week. Offer free lunch or morning tea and you’ll get more ‘bums on seats’.
The other benefit of contact days is career growth. Motivated younger employees who are able to be literally seen by their superiors will give themselves the advantage. You may wish to explore a mentorship initiative that brings people together and showcases the benefits of turning up to the office on a regular basis.
How to implement contact days
Different arrangements work for different businesses:
- When: Contact days can be any day of the week but aim to make them regular and consistent. Many companies choose Tuesday and Thursday, but you could try Monday and Wednesday to help your team avoid heavy traffic on those days (depending on where you are located).
- How often: This will depend on your business and how far team members might have to travel. Once a week or once a month might work if you have a larger, more spread-out team. If people mostly live quite close, you may request two contact days per week.
- Who: Some companies rotate through teams and ask people to hot desk so they can lease a smaller office. Others request regular ‘all hands’ attendance so anyone can book a face to face catch up with anyone else.
- Where: There are different ways to do contact days. One option is to maintain your inner-city location because it is a convenient central hub. Otherwise, you can investigate the establishment of what’s referred to as a ‘satellite office’, in a shopping mall near a suburban area. You can have more than one satellite office and get the entire team together somewhere each quarter.
Office vs work from home?
Hybrid work is now seen as the model that suits the majority of businesses and people. It delivers the best of both worlds by freeing workers from a tiring commute but still giving them the chance to mingle with their colleagues, which is often the thing people like most about their jobs.
For business advice and tips, get in touch with the team at Crest today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this news post is general in nature and is intended to provide a general summary only and should not be relied on as a substitute for professional advice. Whilst the information is considered to be true and correct at the date of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact upon the accuracy of the information.
