How real estate startup Orchard got employees back to the office

4 ways this startup enticed its 800 employees to return to the office

June 14, 2022 10:41 AM

Orchard's employees collaborate and catch up in an office lounge space.

While the so-called “return to work” may be the stressor du jour for employers, it’s been on Lorraine Buhannic’s mind for more than two years.

“I’ve been thinking about this since March 2020,” says Buhannic, who’s the chief people officer at Orchard, a young real estate startup that aims to make home-buying and selling simpler. You’d think that’d be plenty of time to prepare, but the massive growth of Orchard throughout the course of the pandemic — from 130 employees to roughly 800 — created a curveball of an opportunity for the organization.

“As hard as COVID was, it was also an amazing opportunity for us to double down on fostering belonging and culture in a fully remote environment,” Buhannic says. “When we thought about bringing our team back to the office, we had to think strategically about what we wanted to preserve, and how to create new moments of connection, and capture the best parts of the in-office experience.”

This spring, employees started reporting to Orchard’s new HQ in New York City. Thoughtful design laid the foundation for a cohesive culture, but company policies and programs would have to do the heavy lifting. So far, the Orchard team is happy to be there, and attendance is trending in the favor of more in-office days, rather than fewer. Here are four ways Buhannic’s team made sure the office was somewhere folks wanted to be.

Commit to a schedule

When Orchard leaders first started shaping the return to work, they knew they wanted in-office days where everyone was in the office, and anticipated working together three days a week. But when an employee survey showed that 75% of the Orchard team was more interested in working two or three days, they adjusted their approach.

“We settled on two designated days — Tuesdays and Wednesdays — to all be in the office, and then if people want to come in on other days, they can,” Buhannic says. “And anecdotally, we’re finding that people are coming in a lot more than twice a week.”

Those two designated days, she explains, creates guaranteed opportunities for collaboration, and avoids haphazard trips to the office that can result in just a few employees sitting alone in a cavernous space. For Orchard’s staff, they’re already seeing the impact.

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“Returning to the office has been energizing, which is surprising because historically, it was not something I looked forward to,” says Kozy Rozich, a senior product designer. “There’s an element of unplanned-for silliness and joy that comes with returning to the office. From a collaboration perspective, it’s been great to turn to my squadmate right next to me if I have a question, or huddle around a monitor and review work together, or grab some paper and some pens to sketch ideas out.”

Create a structure for remote-only employees

Unsurprisingly, Orchard’s initial return-to-work survey did capture the sentiments of folks who had no interest in going back to the office — and the company made sure to listen to their concerns.

“People have been through a lot the last couple of years, and we did not want our return to office to be a forced march,” Buhannic says. “We have a lot of parents of young children who just don’t want to take any chances, so we made a remote option available.”

That came with its own parameters. Employees select and apply, on a quarterly basis, if they want to be a fully-remote employee or an in-office employee. At the end of the quarter, they can change their mind and choose a different setup. So far, the flow of interest favors the office.

“We’re actually seeing more people that initially said they wanted to be remote apply to be in the office again, rather than the alternative,” Buhannic says.

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Make the office worthy of a commute

Orchard had the luxury of creating a fresh space, and they didn’t want to waste the opportunity.

Rather than keep employees at their desks, considered rooms were built to create freedom. An insulated library offers quiet time for focused work, and a variety of books available for borrowing. A bookable wellness room can be reserved for yoga, prayer or meditation, and its presence in the space is intended to remind workers that breaks are ok. Lastly, a number of “living rooms” offer spaces to hang, work, collaborate or socialize.

“It’s been energizing to see colleagues in person, and Orchard has been so intentional in the way they set up the space,” says Asher Feil, a staff software engineer. “I usually come in an extra day or two each week because I feel so productive.”

Think beyond happy hour

To build engagement and excitement around the new office, Orchard figured one welcome-back gathering wouldn’t cut it, and instead focused on engaging employees throughout the first day, the first week and the first quarter.

“On the first day, we had a pretty structured schedule,” Buhannic says, noting office tours, team lunches, a leadership panel, and a scavenger hunt to help people get acquainted. The first week featured ongoing trainings with managers to help them manage hybrid teams. Throughout the next few months, previously virtual gatherings — like digital crossword puzzle and Wordle competitions — moved offline.

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“During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month, we had a really delicious Asian food lunch, and now we’re working on programming for Juneteenth and Pride,” Buhannic says. “We’re not throwing parties for the sake of throwing parties. We’re trying to have purposeful gatherings and remind people that this is about ongoing connection.”

Other events like a recent hackathon at the office — which incorporated farflung remote teammates — helped signal that Orchard is working creating a culture, not just a workspace.

“The space has been built with our hybrid model in mind,” says Alicia Whitney, technical recruiter. “Remote teammates can always dial into in-person meetings or get the same front-row seat at larger events, thanks to Zoom integrations and super-powered cameras and microphones.”