A major challenge facing companies is knowing when to call employees back into the office following stay-in-place measures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Arketi Group is offering a complimentary Reopening Readiness Communications Self-Assessment tool—a call-to-arms checklist to help communications professionals begin developing recovery readiness strategies that will be crucial in the coming weeks.
The Institute for Public Relations reports that only 10% of global Chief Communications Officers have begun well-thought-out planning for a return-to-the-office initiative once work-from-home restrictions are lifted. The Arketi self-assessment tool assists by exploring four critical areas to guide leadership in defining the new in-office normal:
- Insights ‒ Data to help make informed reopening decisions;
- Internal ‒ Communications to ensure a smooth, efficient workplace reopening;
- In market ‒ Communications to address customers, constituents and the community; and
- Impact ‒ Short- and long-term changes required to ensure communications and marketing plans, processes and practices are effective.
The Four I’s framework—a series of structured questions for communications teams to consider when planning for employees’ return to the workplace—can be downloaded here.
“CMOs need to be leading or deeply involved in the return-to-office planning,” said Mike Neumeier, APR, CEO of Arketi Group. “Readiness to reopen must be rooted in the right communications decisions and actions. Our Reopening Readiness Communications Self-Assessment gives communications executives what they need to evaluate how they approach their return-to-office planning.”