Four return-to-office surveys to ask your remote team

Major companies like Google and Apple are experiencing kickback from their employees regarding their return-to-office demands. But why? Companies, in particular leadership, want employees back in the office as soon as possible. Leaders like Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon feel that remote work is damaging to the company (despite data showing otherwise) and wish to encourage more in-person collaboration and creativity by reopening offices.

However, employees are not ready to go back to the office. In fact, many don’t ever want to go back. According to a Gallup poll, 30% of employees simply prefer to work remotely, with only 3% of employees stating COVID-19 concerns as the main reason. With this gap between employees and leadership, what is the best work model for companies to adopt? The best way to find out is to conduct an anonymous survey with your employees and gather their honest feedback. We’ve created four return-to-office surveys you can ask your remote team. Click the heading of each section to copy the survey to your Poll Everywhere account.

Return-to-office general interest form

Do your employees even want to return to the office? If they do, how often? Do not assume that all your employees are ready to come back. Some may have moved back into their childhood homes, need to find a caretaker for their children, or simply prefer remote work life. Put your employees’ well-being first by drafting your return-to-office strategy around their needs and desires. Additionally, if there is pressure from leadership, use this survey as evidence to support your strategy.

Return to office survey 

For those that need to return to the office or wish to, this survey is for gauging their expectations with the state of the office upon arrival. This survey covers health and safety concerns, personal vs. shared workspaces, and team collaboration. Some employees may prefer stronger restrictions like masks while others may opt to work from home if masks are required. Find the best middle ground for your reopening with this survey.

Work from home survey

For those that prefer remote work, this survey will help you build out a permanent remote work plan for the future. The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to work from home ill-prepared, using dining tables and stacks of books to replace our ergonomic office set up. These small fixes are not sustainable in the long run and if you plan on offering remote work going forward, you should equip your employees with the resources they will need to be successful. Remote work may not be a viable option for all employees, which is why it is on the company to ensure each employee is equipped with what they need.

Read more: 7 benefits of letting your employees work from home.

Back to work feedback survey 

As you reopen the office and transition employees back to work, it is important to check-in with your employees along the way. Circumstances may change, and your employees may have opinions or suggestions on how you can improve your return-to-office strategy. Keep this survey open as an anonymous channel for employees to share their feedback and adjust accordingly.

Returning to the office after a year of remote work is tough, and this past year has been nothing short of tumultuous and uncertain. With the feedback from your employees, we hope your transition back to the office is seamless. With Poll Everywhere, you can conduct surveys and gather feedback asynchronously. Copy the survey response link and send it via email or in Slack or Microsoft Teams. If you wish to engage with us or share your thoughts on going back to the office, follow our LinkedIn page. We post weekly polls all about back to work and the future of engagement!