Start off on the right foot for the new school year

The start of school is fast approaching, and - with it - the end of the vacation is coming and the return to work for most of us.

For managers, office managers and HR, the new school year is a key period for implement new best practices and to effectively manage human resources.

In this article, we want to help you prepare for this crucial time of the year, with our tips and suggestions for best practices, to get off to a good start for the new school year!

LThe risks of going back to school

Back to school is an important period for businesses, as it marks the start of a new year of work. The challenges you face are multiple.

First of all, your teams can undergo a work overload coming back from summer vacation. Summer is conducive to generation of new ideas And at launch of new projects, which - in turn - result in numerous tasks to be dealt with.

This sudden increase in the amount of work can lead to stress And motivation difficulties for your employees. They must in fact quickly adapt to this intense pace of work, which is very different from the rhythm adopted during the holidays!

In addition, if your business is in growth phase, it is likely that you have proposed to your new collaborators to start working at the start of the school year, rather than in the middle of summer. Indeed, it is not always possible to make a Onboarding effective while the bulk of the troops are on vacation.

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According to a 2022 study, directed by Studyrama with 1,002 employees, 61% of French people associate recovery with depression. And alone 7% find the return to work exciting. The impact of the Covid pandemic has been very significant on the perception of our compatriots of this post-summer period.

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The back-to-school period is therefore also associated with the integration and training of new team members, an exciting but time-consuming task!

Finally, of new practices may have been decided during the summer and returning to work is an opportunity to spread good habits in your team. This is a very good thing, but these changes often lead to cultural and behavioral resistances, which it is important to manage with tact and kindness.

Best practices for a successful start to the school year

Here are our practical tips to activate as soon as you return from vacation. At the end of the day: a prevention of burn-outs or the demotivation of some of your employees :

Support new employees. If you are integrating new hires into your team, we recommend that you invest in welcoming, integrating and training them. The first weeks of presence in the company play a vital role in the engagement of new employees. So put all the chances of success on your side, right from the start! Organization is key, onboarding must be prepared in advance, which is why we advise you to set up:

• A step-by-step onboarding action plan and expectations.
• A maximum of “processes” and templates which will save you time as a manager and allow the newcomer to be autonomous and clear about his tasks.

Take stock of the goals of the previous year. We also recommend taking advantage of the start of the school year to take a step back, by taking stock of the projects and objectives achieved in the first half of the year. So you will be able to identify your successes and failures, which will facilitate the implementation of appropriate strategies for the coming year. Following the review of the past year, put in place:

• New SMART goals.
• A calendar of actions to be taken throughout the year to anticipate and boost your successes.

Communicate about upcoming projects. Your employees want to be able to project themselves into the future, in the context of their professional activity. It is therefore important to communicate, in complete transparency, about future projects. For effective communication, we advise you to find new internal communication channels in order to be able to disseminate information effectively, and thus engage your employees in your projects.

Plan the courses. Your team probably also expresses a desire to develop their skills and knowledge. Back to school is the ideal time to plan relevant training courses for the coming months. In this way, you show your employees that you are investing in their personal development and career progression.

Organize team-building outings. The weather is still suitable for this at the start of the school year, so take advantage of this period as well to offer team-building activities to your team. They can be very beneficial in strengthening relationships within the team and creating a more motivating work environment.

Create a space for relaxation and well-being. If it is not already offered to your team, we also advise you to reduce the stress of the new school year by creating a space dedicated to relaxation and well-being on your premises. For example, you can dedicate a room to rest or nap, offer a corner with games or relaxing activities, or even offer your team meditation or yoga sessions organized internally!

Offer flexible hours. Back to school is often synonymous with changes in the routine of your employees. To make this transition easier, you may want to consider implementing flexible working hours. Offering employees the possibility to choose their hours or to benefit from occasional teleworking days can allow them to better reconcile their professional and personal lives. This generates a boost to their motivation and commitment.

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If you were thinking of changing your work organization model (full remote, free hybrid or supervised...), back to school is a good way to start the transition.

Back to school: prepare and anticipate, to take advantage of it!

As we have seen, the start of the school year is a period to be well approached, whether you are a manager, office manager or HR manager.

All the practical advice we have offered you, from supporting employees to identifying future goals, is intended to prevent any problem.

You can also take advantage of the start of the school year to plan the recruitments to be carried out and to launch new projects, motivating for your team.

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