“I’d like to go back to the office please.”
In the final part of our HR technology wish list series, I wanted to cover the topic of going back to the office.
This year has been tough for everyone without exception. As we look ahead to next year, we’re all really hoping the world returns to some kind of normality. That includes heading back to the office for the thousands of us who have worked at home since March 2020.
There are advantages – chucking in a load of washing in the middle of the day or being home to accept the hundreds of parcels that seem to be delivered each week (or is that just me?). And there is the lack of commute to consider – time better spent with family or catching up with a colleague.
That said, the return to the office can’t come soon enough for me. I can’t wait for the day when the whole company is back in the same building. But how can we use HR tech to make this as safe, possible and a positive experience?
READ ALSO: Part 1- HR & Payroll Technology Christmas Wishlist 2020
READ ALSO: Part 2- HR & Payroll Technology Christmas Wishlist 2020
Utilising your HR Technology
There are a number of ways you could utilise the functionality within your HR technology to facilitate a move back to the office:
Onboarding
Take into account those employees who may have not been in the office for a number of months, or those employees who have been onboarded remotely during the crisis. A really interesting use of the onboarding facility is to reintroduce your team to the office. Consider:
• Videos to show people around the office and the new safety measures in place, giving them comfort that the office has been made COVID Secure.
• Pulse surveys to find out how employees are feeling about the return to the office, and any concerns they have – then share the feedback and address issues with employees.
• Upload COVID Policies and procedures into the portal and have employees confirm they have read an understood those policies.
READ ALSO: A Virtual Onboarding Experience
Check-ins
Consider using the HR system check-in facility to have employees give regular feedback when they return to the office. Consider:
• Allowing employees to have a daily COVID check-in – letting you know how they feel about being in the office that day.
• Daily COVID Reporting – have employees confirm each day that they are free from symptoms and no family member has any symptoms – reminding employees of the need to be safe.
Holding Employee Records
It may be worth asking employees to provide additional information:
• The date the employee had the vaccine and their subsequent booster
• If the employee has a compromised immune system for any reason
• If they need time off work to attend an appointment for a vaccine
These are just some of the ways your HR and Payroll technology can be of help during your return to the office.
READ ALSO: Ways that 2020 will forever shape the way we work
It will, of course, be interesting to see how things develop in the new year, I am sure that for my team, in particular, there will be an ‘initial flurry’ when the offices are opened back up again – after all, we have missed each other!
However you plan your return to the office (or not), I hope that your HR systems help you to adapt to the new flexible ways of working. If you have any other suggestions as to how you utilise your HR technology to support remote or office working, please let us know! And if you need assistance with training or systems implementation, as HR technology and payroll consultants, we would love to help.
This article was written by James Proctor, Phase 3’s Director of Consulting & Services.
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