How to encourage in-office work in software companies

Most software companies have supported remote and hybrid work modalities since the pandemic set in, and even today, when we are much closer to overcoming it and designating COVID under the name of endemic, faith in flexible work models increases, based mainly on the best experiences of employees outside the office and closer to their families.

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However, some companies did not forget that before the pandemic and even despite the development of new technologies, in-office work in software companies represented a certain advantage at a structural level, because even if they did not need to have all the workers inside the office every day, they had somehow managed to hold them back.

These same companies today probably want to attract their employees back to face-to-face training, even though the way of working is being reinvented and now workers can choose where to carry out their work functions.

If you are one of those who value the day-to-day experience that face-to-face work provides, this article will interest you. We tell you how to promote in-office work in software companies so that your employees feel motivated and not forced to return to the office.

The problem of in-office work in software companies

In-office work for business leaders represents much more than having a follow-up of the activities carried out by their employees; it is the physical and shared space to generate ideas as a team. Although people who use remote work can also do it from a videoconference, the truth is that direct contact between employees can strengthen the bond between them, especially in tasks that involve macro processes from more than one area.

Programmers and developers can certainly work and be productive for hours remotely, but they will need to meet from time to time a few times a week to come up with new ideas, based on the current top software consumer issues, and coordinate the tasks to be carried out the following days.

Based on the experiences of most companies in the pandemic, remote work functioned very well maintaining or even increasing the productivity of in-office work, even though very few companies were prepared to give up face-to-face work for so long.

However, digital or software companies, which were born remotely, when they expanded they opted for a model, if not completely face-to-face, at least hybrid work, in which employees, whether they are developers, programmers, vendors, and managers marketing, they could meet in an office to discuss problems and generate solutions to those problems.

Over time, these companies became consolidated and employees received specialized training in software implementation and were able to communicate through corporate communication channels for daily matters that did not require full attendance.

This allowed employees to acquire a lot of work autonomy and the senior executives, the peace of mind of knowing that they could count on them for new projects and launches. But the arrival of the pandemic put the balance of that routine, forcing the implementation of teleworking permanently.

At the end of 2021, most companies decided to open the doors to in-office work again, but given the evident fact that workers found significant advantages in continuous remote work, in-office work now has become a challenge in software companies. What to do then so that the employees want to return to the office?

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Description of the perfect environment to return to in-office work

It is a reality that more workers than bosses are interested in maintaining the home office or hybrid mode. This happens because they have never felt so free and close to their family environment as in the comfort and tranquility of their homes. And best of all, they could work and, at the same time, collaborate with housework, access home-cooked food, save on transportation, manage their own time, have a cleaner and tidier house, etc.

Of course, if employees could obtain all these advantages with the remote modality, the executives too, and possibly, with better conditions, better technologies, and also, greater responsibilities. Remember that far from the office you cannot teleport to each remote space of your employees and make sure if they need specific help, which is difficult to communicate through Meet.

Now, if we transfer all these advantages to the office environment, your employees will gladly opt for in-office work training in software companies, because they will feel that they can access the same or similar comfortable things that they had at home.

1. Coworking space.

The office space converted into a coworking space can be an enriching alternative for employees, since they will have more places to work at ease and not necessarily be rigid in a small office with a watery coffee dispenser for the whole day. No worker would return to an office like this, being able to perform the same functions at home, with only a laptop and internet connection.

In addition to all the comforts and spaciousness of coworking spaces, they offer the possibility of interacting with other people outside the company, in the shared space, where they can meet other people and enrich themselves with their ideas and experiences.

2. Stimulate creativity through a comfortable space like the one at home.

The office must stimulate creativity and make employees happier, trying to make them feel that they are not in the office but in a workspace that offers them greater freedom and comfort. This space should be large, illuminated, adequately ventilated, or heated. Have state-of-the-art computers, good connectivity, ergonomic chairs, and also armchairs, and other seats.

3. Be aesthetic and functional.

There should be plants inside the office, large windows, a kitchen-dining room with a refrigerator, microwave, filter coffee maker, espresso machine, hot and cold water dispenser, a call room for private meetings, and even a canteen to buy food and nutritious menus, adapted to all palates, that is, carnivores, vegetarians and vegans. In short, it must be functional to the needs of the entire company.

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In short, now that you know that promoting in-office work in software companies is not impossible, you know how you can take the first step. The permanent face-to-face modality should under no circumstances be imposed if it does not require exclusive physical activities or tasks.

However, a balance can be established between the personal interaction and the concentration that remote work deserves through the hybrid modality, which can be negotiated with the employees to the extent that they maintain their commitment to the company, both outside and inside the office. Meanwhile, a well-equipped co-working space will motivate them much more to return and live comfortable and productive experiences like at home.