Re-imagining the workplace

Farewell full-time Office Employment

Just as the coronavirus seemed to be heading into the rear-view mirror, Omicron arrived and put the final nail into the coffin of full-time office employment.  Today, governments and employers are taking few chances. In London, people have been working from home since late last year, with a cautious approach to re-opening again now in sight. In America we keep seeing San Francisco’s tech firms re-evaluating the return to the office. In Asia, some countries are taking tiny steps to re-open, (but not full-time) and China is still embroiled in finding and dealing with infections.

Embracing Hybrid Working

Organisations are now embracing a new dawn in the way that we work: permanent flexible working and the hybrid office. Today, business leaders understand that this change is permanent and not simply a temporary “stop-gap”.  We understand that hybrid working will now form the very foundation of working practices.  And for this reason, we are now investing in the technology and creating the framework to build on this new foundation.

The Effects of Hybrid Working

Surprisingly to some, the effects of hybrid work have largely been positive for both the organisation and employee.  Productivity and sales have been safeguarded but collaboration, morale and ensuring equality all need to be looked at, in this great re-imagination of how people work.

Supporting Hybrid Office Workers

Organisations are now in discussion about the best way to support employees in their new hybrid work environment.  From an HR perspective, its important to be “loud and proud” about the flexibility for hybrid work and the support that will be given to their employees whilst working remotely, in order to remain an organisation in which people want to work. 

The “Great Resignation” of 2021, when people across the globe quit their jobs at unprecedented rates, forcefully reminded organisations that workers are now determined to follow what is right for them.  Employees in this new era expect a robust hybrid working plan, with the infrastructure technology to support them in both their collaboration with colleagues and connection with clients whilst working remotely.

Investing in the Hybrid Office

The two biggest priorities for organisations right now are that remote workers are integrated seamlessly with office or site workers and that their cyber security runs at a far higher level than the Zoom meetings we adopted in the scramble to stay connected at the beginning of the pandemic.

Organisations are therefore investing in secure video conferencing technology to ensure that all workers can be “seen” and easily collaborate with each other as well as “meet” with clients remotely.

The Great Re-Imagination of the Workplace

The central theme to this great re-imagination of the workplace is that location in which people work is just not that important anymore, it is our connectivity that is key. 

How we communicate, collaborate and connect with each other is what matters now.

Daryl Hutchings, CEO Collaboration Squared

 We all need to be seen equally, no matter our location and it’s important that this connection is “real” and simple and something that is enjoyed by our workers rather than endured. 

These are now the issues that must be solved as this is, without a doubt the future of work.