Expect the future of work to look like a college campus, where coming into the office means collaborating with others and getting group projects completed.
Not only is this arrangement more logical, it’s what employees want.
According to CBRE’s Spring 2022 U.S. Occupier Sentiment Survey, 61% of respondents said that a hybrid model was the most common workplace arrangement. In another survey from ZK Research, 51% of U.S. enterprises said that they plan to bring employees in the office two to four days a week.
Those resistant to flexibility could be fueling further disarray in the future — and that’s why it’s important to rethink and restructure the purpose of the office today.
For starters, the office should be home to a totally different experience than when an employee is working remotely. Creating collaborative areas, hosting all-hands-on-deck meetings and creating an atmosphere that cannot be replicated should be of high priority.
When designing an office, businesses must lead with one goal in mind: to nurture teamwork.
For instance, incorporating movable walls can create a small meeting space for a marketing team, then removed to bring all teams together.
Another important factor to keep in mind in a hybrid model is that workers may not be coming into the office on the same days. With this, it’s essential for companies to incorporate the right technology to ensure those working from home and in the office can easily connect on any given day.
Not only can collaboration tools make it easier to work on an asynchronous schedule, but they also help offices run efficiently, keep the space from overcrowding and avoid creating bottlenecks in booking meeting rooms.
