As employees start returning to the office, be it full time or on a hybrid basis, it is important for businesses to re-define, re-shape and re-build company culture in a post pandemic work environment. The Tower Group shares its 4 R’s of rebuilding company culture post Covid-19:
- Rewind
Who was ‘the business’ pre-Covid-19 and who is the business post-Covid-19? Once you’ve identified this, get to work in rebuilding your culture in a way that is true to your core company ethos. Reflecting on what was and where the company has been, starts the right conversation with your people. Through employers and employees sharing their own Covid-19 realities of the past two years, we set the tone for empathy, transparency and a win-win culture goal.
- Return (on Investment)
Whatever is put into place culture-wise needs to see a return on investment (ROI) for both the people and the business. If the ‘old way’ doesn’t entirely fit anymore and neither does the ‘new normal’, a company needs to find a middle ground whereby you’re able to introduce a little more flexibility while maintaining traditionalism, in order to still deliver on ROI. Small, incremental changes will get the best out of people for example: clocking off at 3pm instead of 5pm on a Friday. Small on paper, but big on return.
- Review
Small changes need review too. This means that calibrating, collaborating AND recalibrating are important in figuring out what works and what does not. By agreeing to a new way and setting clear timelines for frequent reviews amongst your people (i.e.: in three months’ time we will review the ‘Friday knock-off’ decision, before we make it policy) allows you to open up space for collaboration, buy-in and respect. It’s also an opportunity to re-jig policies such as office dress code, etiquette, and to clearly demarcate boundaries. This way, everyone made this decision – and everyone will ultimately decide if it should form part of company culture.
- Rebuild
Restarting your culture climb, from the ground up, will not be easy, but it will be worth it. Re-inducting your entire workforce is a sure-fire way to remind your people why they signed up for your company culture in the very first place, pre-Covid-19. It will ensure that everyone is aligned, engaged, accountable, committed and feels a sense of ownership. Ownership is culture.
