Changing Office Buildings: 3 Things to Communicate to Employees
Whether you're scaling up, leaving a difficult landlord, or following the foot traffic, moving to another office building is certainly not an insignificant event. It means not just a new space, but maybe even new business or a new culture. It also means careful consideration so that the move goes smoothly. In particular, it's very important to communicate the move clearly to your employees. What about?
Here are 3 things you want to communicate to employees when moving to a different office building.
Reasons Behind the Move
Employees often appreciate understanding why big decisions are made; being open builds trust and you want - as far as possible - a trusting relationship with your employees.
Hosting a bunch of town hall meetings or even webinars is a good way to really dive into the reasons behind the move. Not only that, break down the complex reasons you can disclose into bite-sized pieces with visuals, data, and stories to help things along to a two-way conversation, where people ask questions and share concerns.
For example, make the webinar more engaging with some personal employee stories that really show how the move aligns with the company's growth strategy. Throw in some real-time polls to check if everyone's on the same page and to address any immediate questions for a lively and inclusive discussion.
Impact on Employees
Talking about how the move affects everyone - really understanding and acknowledging their concerns - is how you'll manage to keep morale up for a positive work environment.
Try running some thorough surveys that cover all aspects of the move, from commute worries to office aesthetic preferences, as well as face-to-face feedback sessions to get into the nitty-gritty and gather qualitative insights.
For example, why not launch a pre-move survey with targeted questions on nagging challenges and preferences? Maybe even set up some focus group chats to get in-depth feedback. Then, you want to use this information to tweak your communication strategies, showing you're all about proactively addressing what employees need.
Timeline and Logistics
Moves are disruptive to not just personal lives but also work lives and so giving employees a clear timeline and logistical details is one of the best ways to help them handle the move properly.
Putting together a full-on information package that includes timelines, detailed relocation schedules, and FAQs is a very good idea. In fact, if you can, why not take employees on a virtual tour of the new office space to get them familiar with the layout? Then, you want to set up a dedicated communication channel or platform for ongoing updates and Q&A sessions.
For example, make an interactive digital timeline that everyone can check out, updating it regularly with progress milestones and important dates; make it even more engaging with a detailed relocation guide featuring floor plans, parking details, and vivid shots.
While changing office buildings can certainly be challenging and disruptive for everyone involved, it's possible to make the move a smooth one.
