Practical tips on how to keep employees focused & motivated throughout the office relocation process.
It is important that throughout the office relocation process, staff feel engaged and motivated to continue with their day-to-day duties, and see the move as the start of new beginnings and better things to come.
These practical tips are designed to help HR Managers keep employees focused and motiviated through the chaos and disruption which is sometimes the result from a major change – such as a relocation.
Empower employees
Ask your employees for ideas about the new office layout and design. They probably know your working environment better than you do, so they’re the right people to ask. If their ideas are good and can be implemented in the new office, offer rewards, prizes or incentives.
Communicate Regularly & Often
Keep your employees up-to-date with any progress at key stages of the office move. They have a right to know what’s going on and it will help motivate them about their new environment. This can be done through intranet or email by displaying photos of how the design is coming along and proposals of the new office space plan.
Clarify Expectations
Remind staff that during the somewhat unsettling period of an office relocation, targets still need to be met, the company still needs to make money and clients still need to be satisfied. In other words, it’s "business as usual" throughout the process.
Emphasise the Positives
An office relocation should be seen as a progressive development in a company’s lifespan. It can indicate growth, consolidation, and advancement where a company can look forward to new facilities, a fresh start and new opportunities. For some companies, however, moving office might indicate the need for cost savings and downsizing. But there are positives for this too, and at the end of the day, employees just need to feel secure in their jobs and motivated – whatever your reasons behind the relocation.
Start as you mean to go on
When staff arrive on the first morning in the new office, it’s important to have everything in it’s right place, and working correctly. Business downtime on the first day can lead to negativity and low morale. Make the new environment as organised as possible, tidy and fully operational.
For more best practice tips on how to handle the office move as far as your staff are concerned. Download the FREE and invaluable HR Guide to Moving Office from Help Moving Office.
