Keep Employees Productive During a Move

September 30, 2021

You’ve snagged a new office space for your company — congratulations! But just because you’re moving your operations doesn’t mean your business gets to take a break.

Relocation brings new opportunities, but it also means some disruption is inevitable. Fortunately, proper planning can help you get through the move smoothly.

Whether you’re moving your business to a new floor in the same building, across the city, or the country, these tips can help your employees remain productive through the move.

Strategize and Create a Plan

Whether your relocation is across the hall or miles away, the process is smoother with a bit of planning and organization, which goes double when moving an office. So as soon as you decide you’re moving, plan a strategy.

Create a detailed checklist of what you need to do and who needs to do it. Writing down important dates and deadlines will help keep things from slipping through the cracks during the hustle and bustle of a move. Then, share the pertinent details with employees to help them keep on track.

Consider assigning an employee to act as a move manager. They can maintain checklists and act as a liaison between workers and the management team.

Keep the Lines of Communication Open

During an office move, employees are bound to feel uncertain and even stressed. Keeping your workers informed at each step of the way will help alleviate their anxiety. When employees know what to expect, they can focus on being productive rather than spending time worrying.

Increase communication by:

Talking about the move at the end of each staff meeting
Sending regular move updates in daily emails
Offer face-to-face meetings to answer employee questions

Regular, consistent communications will remove the unknown element from the move. Your employees will know what’s coming up and what they need to do and take the uncertainty out of the equation.

During the move, it’s essential to keep the lines of communication open. Make sure you’re available to answer questions, listen to concerns, and provide solutions.

Provide Customers With Plenty of Notice

Of course, you’ll want to keep your employees updated about the move. But you’ll also want to let customers, clients, and vendors know, too. After all, you don’t want your customers to feel out of the communication loop.

Once you have a new location, address, and move day, let customers know — the more advance notice you can provide, the better.

Motivate Workers

You know all the benefits a new office will offer — but do your employees know? Share your excitement about the move with your workers so that they will feel motivated and inspired, too.

Consider offering special incentives to boost productivity during this time of upheaval. For example, turning the (often mundane) tasks associated with a move into a contest, complete with prizes or points, can help keep employees engaged and productive.

Moving Your Business

Keeping employees productive can be a challenge at any time, let alone during a move. But by planning ahead, communicating regularly, and taking steps to motivate workers, you can help maintain productivity through your office move.