The concept of a hybrid work model has been around for decades. Similarly, workspace pundits have been saying for years that workforces would become more geographically dispersed, thanks to hybrid workplace software and cloud-powered digital workplace management tools. Pre-Covid most businesses, though, were slow to embrace the onsite plus offsite work model for two evident reasons:
- The C-level team didn’t know how the change in the workforce structure would impact employee productivity
- The technology to support it, such as hybrid workplace software, really hadn’t arrived yet
However, the COVID-19 pandemic made that shift happen all at once. How? When organizations were faced with the choice to embrace remote work or shut their doors entirely- technology came to the aid. Companies worldwide realized that they could maintain optimal productivity regardless of where their employees worked from.
Now, the hybrid workplace is quickly becoming the norm for organizations of all kinds and sizes. In this article, we look at the future of work. We also understand how businesses can implement this mixed work structure with the proper hybrid workplace software.
Understanding the Hybrid Work Model
In a nutshell, a hybrid workplace accommodates in-office and remote workers alike. This is in sharp contrast to traditional workplace arrangements. How? That’s because conventional office setups offer more support to the onsite workers than it does to the remote workforce.
Additionally, modern hybrid workplaces are aided by hybrid workplace software and are typically based on the following concepts:
- Unlike conventional work structures, the number of onsite employees doesn’t necessarily exceed the number of workers working from home
- Employees can choose not to schedule where they work in advance
- The ratio of employees working remotely to officegoers is not static and can change on an hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly basis
The idea of a mixed work model provides employees and employers alike with a more flexible framework that governs the way businesses work. The transition pragmatically opposed to the traditional concept of an employee occupying an assigned desk is gradually becoming the norm now. This shift towards a more fluid workplace design has also transformed how businesses think about their employees, office spaces, and team collaboration.
We’ll discuss this idea further in how to adopt a hybrid work model with hybrid workplace software technologies below.
Creating A Hybrid Workspace Augmented by Suitable Hybrid Workplace Software Technology
As for the workers functioning remotely, helping them set up functional workstations at home will ensure optimal collaboration and productivity. But, how to devise a proper hybrid workplace?
So, we have fundamentally defined what a hybrid workplace model is and how it transforms work patterns. Now let’s see how hybrid workplace software technologies can help organizations adapt their existing structures to the new normal.
1. Rethinking Seating At Work With Hybrid Workplace Software
As hybrid working practices ensue, employees have received more flexibility in terms of work location, office days, and active log-in hours. Besides these, to ensure that how workers coming to the office are seated, hybrid workplace software for hot-desking or hoteling can help.
For onsite workers, stringent regulations on maintaining physical distancing are crucial today. And this can be easily achieved with a new-age hot desking tool. Let’s see how. With a hot-desking hybrid workplace software, employees can book desks in advance, use them, and keep them open for next-shift workers when they leave.
And especially in the shared spaces at workplaces, IT managers will likely deploy hybrid workplace software for hoteling, where employees reserve a workspace for a day, week, or only a few hours. However, here apart from having the right software, organizations also require suitable equipment. Right from multiple monitors to equipping employees with enterprise-grade PC-compatible peripherals, organizations must step up.
Moreover, during the ongoing pandemic, IT leads must also monitor that high-touch equipment, including mice, keyboards, projectors, headsets, etc., are sanitized before and after each use.
2. Fostering Better Collaboration With Hybrid Workplace Software
Studies reveal that over 50% of respondents acknowledged that socializing and attending impromptu and scheduled meetings are top-of-the-list reasons for returning to offices. This says a lot about how a hybrid workplace must promote a balance of virtual and physical collaboration. With dispersed teams, software for collaboration can help employees connect better. This way, remote workers won’t feel left out. Why is this crucial?
That’s because employees who feel heard at work are four and a half times more likely to produce their best work. Hence, using modern hybrid workplace software to harness the power of audio and video sessions to facilitate increased collaboration is key.
3. Redefining Meetings Via Hybrid Workplace Software
Since the pandemic struck, companies globally have recorded a 12.9% rise in the number of meetings per person. Besides, be it remote work or onsite, meetings contribute majorly to the office culture. Employees hash out plans, collaborate, discuss and solve problems, huddle around, and more in meeting rooms.
Today, as workers transition between remote work and office going, meeting room management with the help of hybrid workplace software is key. Facility managers can use the technologies to optimize meeting room management processes and make the most of meeting room spaces. This is pivotal because, on average, employees attend 62 meetings monthly.
Here, nearly 40% spend up to half an hour daily searching for a meeting space. Moreover, unproductive meetings are costing organizations close to $1800 in extra email messaging. These mind-boggling numbers emphasize the importance of meeting room management via hybrid workplace software to save on massive expenses, time, and resources.
Transition To the New Normal with Hybrid Workplace Software
The world of work has logged its fair share of debate over how hybrid work should be tended to. When employees should work from home. When they should be in the office. If they should at all.
However, the bottom line remains that whatever hybrid approach businesses go for, naturally, they will turn to hybrid workplace software technologies. With WorkInSync, you can leverage an elite suite of hybrid workplace solutions to power your modern digital workplaces. Book your free demo today.
Also read: 6 Tips to Boost Workplace Well being
