As the world enters what appears to be a post-pandemic reality, employees are eager to apply the lessons gained over the last two years.

According to a new YouGov poll, 40% of employees would prefer to continue working from home some of the time due to being able to achieve a healthy work-life balance for the first time and improve their overall wellbeing.

Organizations also benefit, as flexible work options have been found to increase employee satisfaction, productivity, and engagement, all of which leads to enhanced operations.

However, in order to optimize a flexible workforce, leaders need to incorporate the necessary tools that support the benefits of this work arrangement and combat its potential downsides.

For starters, caution around in-person interactions should still be maintained as the threat of another wave of Covid-19 could be upon us. 

Incorporating sensors can make this easy. By using this technology, monitoring the occupation of office and meeting spaces, as well as the CO2 concentration and noise levels, leaders can ensure that workers are staying at a safe distance.

Touchless technology can also help mitigate any potential exposure of illness. Beyond Covid-19, sickness in the workplace is extremely common. Utilizing facial recognition software, swipe cards, or QR codes can give workers the ability to access the office, without interacting with high-touch areas.

One of the biggest necessities of a flexible workspace will be technology that supports a distributed workforce. Tools such as video conferencing software, high-definition web cameras, and platforms that help create an engaging workplace will all be crucial in supporting this new era of the workplace.