Reimagining the office is critical to the future of the workplace, particularly as hybrid models take center stage.

Daan van Rossum is the CEO of FlexOS and Dreamplex, both of which help companies in South East Asia connect to, launch and manage hybrid workplaces. His aim is to provide workplace experience as a service, making the transition to a flexible environment more seamless and effective.

In discussion with Allwork.Space’s Future of Work Podcast, he breaks down why embracing hybrid work will be critical in employee retention and leads to a thriving company.

But this all starts with one primary focus: improving the employee experience.

“[What] does it take to make people say, ‘I love coming to the office?’” said van Rossum.

To start, he says that this will require the necessary amenities to get work done. While this is straightforward on the surface, it requires keeping all workers in mind.

“Is there space to collaborate? Is there space to socialize? Is there space to do the things that we cannot do well at home?” said van Rossum. “That’s really where the human component comes in.”

Making the office more appealing is just the beginning, though. He adds that hybrid and remote work have been largely successful, so why would employees want to come back into the office?

This main reason is mainly to seek connection and community. Hybrid work is undoubtedly an important factor in improving workplace productivity and employee satisfaction, but nurturing culture in this arrangement becomes increasingly difficult.

“So number one is make it visible for people when and where their colleagues will work,” said van Rossum.

“If I know that all my work besties, as I would call them… are going to be in the office on Wednesday, but I had typically planned to come in on Monday and Tuesday, I may either come in an extra day… or I may switch out my Tuesday for my Wednesday if I have that flexibility.”