A possible transition back into the office for many people can be intimidating. After almost a year and a half of a remote work environment, virtual trainings and distant onboardings, the office life can seem so foreign at this point. According to SHRM.org, nearly 75% of remote workers are eager to return to the office.

Here are 3 key factors to ensure a smooth transition back to the office…

1. Be Transparent & Discuss the Re-Entry

Construct and enforce a solid game plan around the importance of your employee’s safety and well-being. With the uptick in Covid-19 vaccinations, most employees are contemplating their return to the in-person workforce and want to be assured they’re making the right decision. Lay out specific expectations for when, who, and how employees return to the office. A possible partial return of a smaller group of employees or ones that need office space as part of their jobs. In this scenario, each employee should be able to discuss with their managers their own personal viewpoint and re-entry situation.

2. Ramp Up and Adapt rather than Full-Steam Ahead

To ease employees minds and hesitations about returning to the office, take a ramp-up-and-adapt approach rather than a full transition of an entire company. Based on your organization’s needs, allow people back into the office slowly and at different times. Consider allowing employees to come in a couple days a week and divide the company to limit in-person overload at one time. According to USA today, nearly 30% of working professionals say they would quit if they had to return to the office post pandemic. For this reason and some people’s hesitation, take on a flexible and adaptable environment to this issue.

3. Provide Support & Coaching

As with any new adjustment, guidance and understanding goes a long way. In this new transition, provide your employees with support and coaching to make their transition more seamless. Using the Titus Talent platform, Manage 4 Perfomance there is evidence that shows consistent feedback, both constructive and celebratory, increases engagement and performance. Through this platform, managers are more equipped and prepared to not only manage performance but also employees coming back into seats. With this platform, the importance of “right people, right seats” comes into play when coming back to the office is not the same “seat” it once was pre-pandemic.

As companies continue to broaden their in-person workplace horizons, consider the Manage 4 Performance methodology that allows employees the opportunity to share their skills, values, behaviors, and performance in what ever manner they see fit. Whether in person, remote or transitioning back into the office, providing a safe place to hear employees out and work together to create a customizable game plan for each employee’s transition makes for a more cohesive and flexible team, which in turn brings in healthier people, healthier partners, and healthier profits.