How to communicate when your workforce returns to the office

I strongly believe that when we all come back to the office (and I think it will happen soon), employees will need to be educated and retrained to understand the new normal protocols.

However, this isn’t a “welcome back, now get back to work” situation, and the communication will need to be more than just sending an email blast with instructions on returning properly. It’s more nuanced and will require more empathy than a set of instructions.

Here’s what you should keep in mind when preparing to bring the team back to the office.

Embrace consistent communication and an evolving culture

Little communication during this time will only cause more issues. The pandemic requires communicators to be thoughtful as they inform employees of new expectations while being open to evolving the company culture based on the uncertain landscape.

Here’s the best way to communicate with your team prior to a full recovery:

Think about the experience

Practicing empathy for everyone’s journey back to the office will go a long way. Every individual had their own experience with the lockdown, and many won’t be able to just jump back into the office as if nothing happened.