Informing your employees about a pending office move can be a difficult task. Your employees are valuable members of your team and you desire to make the transition as easy as possible for everyone, including your business as a whole but you know it’ll bring forth some anxiety for everyone involved. The best way to approach the situation is to have a plan that keeps your employees informed of any changes will ensure positivity and productivity by eliminating any anxiety associated with the office relocation.
Let Your Employees Know of the Office Move As Soon As Possible
The sooner you can inform your employees of the office relocation, the better. This will help them prepare mentally for the move while also giving them ample time to make any necessary changes needed for the move, such as transportation plans and desk organization. Failing to do so can result in many discrepancies which can lead to decreased productivity and employee satisfaction. So, schedule the office meeting as soon as possible.
Get Your Employees Excited About the Office Relocation
An office relocation can bring on a lot of anxiety for your employees. Perhaps they’ll have to wake up earlier to navigate through traffic to get to the new office location, take a different bus route or plan for someone to pick up their kids after work due to a longer commute. You can alleviate their anxiety by setting an example; show them that the office relocation is an exciting experience for everyone involved.
A great way to do just that is to involve your employees in the relocation process. Encourage them to give feedback and suggestions on the move and design process, such as ideas for setting up a welcoming foyer or creative workspaces.
Assign Someone As The Point of Contact
Although excited, your employees may still have many concerns or questions regarding the office relocation. Chances are, your schedule will be vastly overwhelmed with moving tasks. So, assign a senior staff member who is highly involved with the move to be the point of contact for your employees. It will be their job to address employees’ concerns and questions in a timely manner to help eliminate worry and to maintain productivity.
Keep Your Employees Up to Date
Once you have informed your employees of the office relocation, it’s crucial to keep them up to date with the progress. This will help maintain excitement about the move while also alleviating any concerns.
Send weekly newsletters to staff members regarding the office relocation and when needed, host a meeting where you can speak with your employees face-to-face. The latter is a great option if the changes will directly impact your staff members, as it gives you the chance to address their concerns on spot. It will also help them feel involved and a valuable member of the team.
Send Relevant Messages to Different Employee Groups
While it’s important to keep your employees up to date, it’s just as important to be specific with the type of content you share with specific team members. Create groups of employees based on the information they’ll need to receive. For example, if you have a group of employees who are concerned about the commute, create a newsletter group where you can send them specific information about traffic and commute alternatives.
In addition to groups of concerns, you’ll also want to create groups of employees based on their involvement with the office relocation. This allows you to send relevant messages to different employees based on the information they need to know, as opposed to bombarding the entire team with irrelevant emails.
Communication is key when relocating an office. Inform your team members as soon as possible and keep them updated and involved with the moving process to maintain morale and excitement.
