- We now have the knowledge and technology to create and maintain flexible, post-COVID workplaces that work for all types of organizations and employees.
- To achieve, manage, and maintain a productive and safe hybrid workplace, it all starts with the right technology to support each organization’s unique needs.
- In this article, AgilQuest explores two post-pandemic phases and how a workplace reservation software supports the key processes that make it all successful.
Two years into the pandemic and the experience has taught us that it’s unlikely we will return to the same “normal” prior to March 2020. But we’ve learned quite a bit in that time. We now have the knowledge and technology to create and maintain flexible, post-COVID workplaces that work for all types of organizations and employees.
Organizations are embarking on a journey to the ‘next normal.’ Many have already made plans and processes, maybe even started to implement return to work. Those that are bringing employees back into the workplace should constantly evaluate to see what is working or what should be adjusted.
No matter what stage the organization is in, planning or re-evaluation, there are two main areas, or phases, that need to be supported:
- Getting employees into the office, safely
- Creating and managing the hybrid workplace
Number one may seem obvious. If companies want employees back in the office, they need to ensure the process is safe and regulated.
Number two may seem less obvious. Do you really need a hybrid workplace to ensure a successful, productive post-COVID workplace? We believe so.
For you to achieve, manage, and maintain a productive and safe hybrid workplace, it all starts with the right technology to support each organization’s unique needs.
Workplace Reservation Software
Workplace reservation software is critical to getting employees back safely and implementing a successful hybrid workplace.
This kind of software not only manages flexible and dedicated workspaces and meeting room bookings, but also regulates capacity, provides contact tracing, and lets employees easily find coworkers, reserve amenities and equipment, and keep their work status updated.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, let’s learn more about the two post-pandemic phases and how a workplace reservation software supports the key processes that make it all successful.
Phase One: Getting Back to the Workplace, Safely
We look at four steps in this process, meant to be approached cyclically rather than linearly: Planning, Executing, Measuring, and Optimizing.
Step One: Planning
Over the past two years, guidelines and restrictions have continually changed. You need to plan for an efficient and easily adaptable return to office. You might consider how you will physically distance your workspaces, stagger schedules, create a contactless office environment, manage contact tracing, and ensure everyone’s safety. When you know what parts of the puzzle need to be included you can move on to executing your plan. The right workplace management software should have configurable business rules and user rights that fit with your plans.
Step Two: Executing
A workplace management software, as mentioned above, is an important part of this step. Your software can help by reducing available workspaces to limit capacity or creating a physically distanced office with dynamic spacing and staggered schedules. You can manage who comes into the office and when, see who interacted with whom, create a touchless, flexible working environment, and much more. Implementing a workplace management software from the start gives you confidence in your plan and empowers employees to choose where and when they work so they can feel safe and supported.
Step Three: Measuring
Next, you absolutely must measure and monitor your workplace to understand what is working and what could use some adjustment. Plus, you can manage contact tracing and understand who was working where, when, and with who when it really matters. By taking advantage of integrations with your security badging systems, network logons, and sensors paired with the operational data from the workspace and meeting room bookings, you can build out a comprehensive view of how your space is being used and how your employees are working. Capturing the complete picture will be crucial for the next step.
Step Four: Optimizing
As we’ve seen, there is no one way of doing things and there is no set date on when (or if) things will return to “normal.” New government guidelines and COVID variants continue to emerge frequently. And who knows what the next big workplace interruption will be. But with your office set up for safety, processes in place for employee flexibility, and operational and strategic data to help analyze how your plan is working, you’ll find it’s easier to adapt your workforce and maintain business continuity for whatever happens in the future.
For more information on phase one and how to implement successfully, download this guide.
Phase Two: Creating and Maintaining a Hybrid Workplace
Now that you have your workplace set up for the right now, you can start thinking about the future. And the future IS hybrid.
A hybrid workplace is a flexible workplace practice that empowers employees to work where and when they want, usually by balancing their time between office work and remote work.
The hybrid workplace can truly benefit everyone in an organization. Employees can choose more collaborative, creative places to work and be productive, organizations can see improvement in employee morale and productivity, and workplaces can be better equipped to handle health & safety procedures and guidelines.
There are a few steps to follow when implementing a hybrid workplace, we dive deep into them in this guide, but what we can tell you now is implementing a workplace management software is a key element that must not be overlooked in your hybrid planning.
Your workplace management software enables employees to easily schedule time in the office, reserve the resources they need, and work near and with the right coworkers. Organizations get to empower their people by providing choice and freedom while also gathering critical workplace insight. No matter the hybrid model or workplace strategy you go with, a configurable workplace management software makes the process a whole lot easier.
For more information on phase two and how to implement a killer hybrid workplace, download this guide.
Next Steps: Getting the Right Technology for Your Workplace
If you are in charge of getting your workplace ready for the post-pandemic world, you have some work ahead of you. To recap:
- Your first step is getting employees back to the workplace, SAFELY. It requires planning, executing, measuring, and optimizing your efforts. Implementing a workplace reservation software can help those efforts tremendously.
- The future of the workplace is HYBRID. With the right understanding, planning, and a workplace reservation software, you’ll have an efficient, successful hybrid workplace in no time.
We think you are going to absolutely crush the post-COVID world. And we would love to see it happen. If you want to learn more about AgilQuest’s workplace reservation software, and how we can help you with both post-COVID workplace phases, let’s schedule some time to talk.
Written by Abigail Heird and John Vivadelli from AgilQuest by Tango, a provider of world-class, enterprise-level reservation and occupancy management solutions for any size workplace.
AgilQuest empowers organizations to enhance employee safety and productivity while providing the utilization data and analytics necessary to make informed workplace decisions. AgilQuest gives people the freedom to choose the workspaces, meeting rooms, conference areas and available resources wherever, whenever they need to work across the entire Hybrid Workplace.
