RTO: This 100yr Old Company Made a Hybrid Work Policy That Actually Works?

Did Smuck Zuck the Zuck?

Did a 100-year-old jelly company find a better return-to-work policy than big tech companies like Meta, Amazon, Apple, Google, and Zoom?

Yes, they did.

In stark-contrast to the angst and strife over Return to Office (TRO) policies present at the world’s largest tech companies, Smucker's Jelly Company came up with the idea of "22 core weeks." During these weeks, all employees must be at the office. They plan these core weeks in advance so everyone knows when to be there.

Since January 2022, [Smuckers] has been trying to bring workers back to its headquarters in Orrville, Ohio, during its 22 "core" weeks a year, according to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal. Core weeks usually take place every other week, except for the months of July and December when the company holds just one core week a month, according to the Journal. #Business Insider

In this regard, it seems the world's biggest tech companies, which pioneered the concept of remote work have been outsmarted by Smuckers, the 100 yr old Ohio-based food company started by a Mennonite farmer.

In a great piece by Chip Cutter at the Wall Street Journal, you can learn about the Smuckers’ Core Weeks Plan and how they implemented it. If you don’t have a WSJ Subscription, this apple news link may work for you.

This plan lets people work from home but also makes sure they spend time at the office together. It helps teams work well and get along because they know when everyone will be there.

Employees can live anywhere but need to pay for their own travel to/from the office and living expenses during core weeks.

People who are remote may fly in, stay at a hotel or an Airbnb, or at a friend's house, but they are free to live somewhere else the rest of the time, if that's what they choose.

Of course, if they want to live close to the office, they can do that, too. It’s their choice.

"The goal of the model is to offer our employees flexibility, foster in-person connection and drive business results," a spokesperson for the company told Insider by email. "We are committed to consistently evaluating the model to ensure it continues to meet the needs of our employees and the business; however, we are pleased with the results to date." #Business Insider

In summer, core weeks are spread out so workers can have vacations.

Other times of the year, employees “generally show up” for these mandatory onsite weeks, often often working a bit late to catch up with colleagues, grab a meal, or invite clients or vendors out to the Orville, Ohio facility.

According to Mark Smucker, CEO of J.M. Smucker corporation,

Our corporate hybrid workplace model was developed thoughtfully and intentionally to ensure it would meet the needs of the business and our employees… It was important that our approach was based on offering an expectation and guidance, not rules. The successful execution of the mode to date is thanks in large part to empowering employees to adopt it in a way that works best for themselves and their teams. #Mark Smucker on LinkedIn

So, is this the future?

According to Fortune, the future of work is hybrid work, weather some companies want to believe it or not.

But no matter how much tech executives rail against hybrid work, the data is increasingly indisputable:

The data on hybrid work—anchored by employee freedom and choice—is difficult to compete with. Hybrid workers are happier, they save more money, and they have more time (the most coveted perk) to spend as they please, whether that be by picking up a side hustle, sleeping in, or spending more time with family and loved ones. At every turn over the past few years, many workers have been consistently opposed to giving up their teleworking options.  #Fortune (apple link)

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Takeaways?

So, what are the takeaways from the Smuckers’ Core Weeks plan? The Wall Street Journal article lays out a few good ones, outlined by Cali Williams Yost on Linkedin:

Key takeaways that SHOULD inform how other organizations approach defining their model:

—Their "strategy" was set after months of internal debate (that should include employees).

—They ruled out mandatory specific days-Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday-as too prescriptive.

—People seem to be prioritizing activities that benefit from in person interaction.

—They seem to have decided that even if workspaces aren't used during non-core weeks the overhead is worth carrying to enable in person interactions during core weeks. This is a new workspace ROI more employers will need to reckon with.

—They will continue to reassess the approach if business results suffer. An organization's flexible work model will need to be reviewed and recalibrated as realities change.

It seems Smucker's found a good balance between remote work and being in the office that other big companies haven't figured out yet!

As the saying goes, “with a name like Smuckers, it's got to be good”, and it seems like it goes for return to office policies as well.

This post was originally published at LimitlessTalent.xyz

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