A Return to Office Survey for Organizations Considering Hybrid Work Models
Returning to the Office with an Eye to Equity and Inclusion
A set of pocket doors halfway open onto an office with a desk and a rug.
Determining how - and to what extent - to return to a worksite after a year and more with fully remote teams is a challenge. Leaders should be responsive to the needs of their team members, and not make assumptions about what will work without input from staff. Ask team members what their must haves are in this transition vs. a nice to have. Acknowledge that it won’t be possible to accommodate all preferences, but we’ll try our best, do it with your input, and be transparent about our decision making process, and be open to change and adjustments as part of future iterations.
To start that process, we are suggesting some questions for your organization to use. Below is a sample survey that can be shared with team members to gather key information as organizations make arrangements to return to offices.
Sample Return to Office Survey
As we develop plans for the next stage of work operations at [company], we seek to ensure that our approach is equitable for all in the organization. In order to do this, we begin by listening to our people and hearing what is most important to each of you. We want to learn from you about what worked well during remote work, and what the challenges were. We know that different individuals and teams work differently, and while we will not be able to accommodate every preference in this next stage, we will approach this process with flexibility, and continue to listen and adjust as needed.
How comfortable are you returning to the office?
Very comfortable
Comfortable
Neutral
Uncomfortable
Very uncomfortable
What are your concerns about returning to the office? (Select all that apply):
Exposure to COVID-19 in my commute
Exposure to COVID-19 in the office
Childcare/Dependent Care
Length of commute
That I won’t be as productive as I am at home
Other (explain)
What are the most important reasons to you for returning to the office? (Rank order any that apply):
Personal productivity (I am more productive in the office)
Desk and office set up/equipment that I lack at home
Seeing and interacting with colleagues
Ease of communication/collaboration
Other (explain)
Which work schedule would be your ideal (we may not be able to accommodate this):
Working remotely full-time
Working remotely 3-4 days per week
Working remotely 1-2 days per week
Working from the office full-time
I feel comfortable sharing my concerns about returning to the office with my supervisor
Very comfortable
Comfortable
Neutral
Uncomfortable
Very uncomfortable
Have you been fully vaccinated against COVID-19? (Two weeks from final vaccination shot)
Y/N
Do you plan to be vaccinated against COVID-19?
Y/N
I have had the support I needed to fulfill my role during the remote work period.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
The biggest challenge for me during remote work was: ____
The greatest benefit to me during remote work was: ____
