What are the Do’s and Don’ts in Making a Hybrid Workplace

With changing needs and demands comes the need for organizations to adopt more hybrid work from home jobs. However, making significant changes isn’t always easy to achieve since employers’ and employees’ needs don’t always match.

To this end, flexible hybrid work models are an alternative that utilizes the best of in-office and remote work. They come in many forms that have varying benefits of hybrid work for employers and employees. 

In this article, we’ll look at the do’s and don’ts of making a hybrid workplace. We’ll also look at the criteria your office may need to transition to this type of workplace. 

Why Should You Turn Your Office into a Hybrid Workplace?

Hybrid and flexible workspace models combine the best of traditional and remote work models into one unique environment. Here are the biggest reasons why you should consider hybrid working office space for your business: 

1. Increased Work, Decreased Costs

A common question about hybrid work is: what are the two advantages of home-based work for employers?

The answer is simple: more productivity for less spending.

Workers have their strengths and weaknesses. Hybrid and flexible workspaces supported by online scheduler software provide much-needed support to help workers play more to their strengths. 

For instance, workers who are more productive in the afternoon can clock in later, while those who are easily distracted can work at home. Employees in hybrid and remote work setups also save time on their commutes by working remotely. 

2. Improved Opportunities for Collaboration and Learning

Hybrid workspace solutions can ensure opportunities for socializing, collaboration, and networking. However, while gathering employees in one place can make them more productive, this is not always the case. 

For one, employees may find it difficult to be on-site. They may be too far from the office or have other reasons that hinder regular travel. They may also prefer remote work. 

However, hybrid workplaces can address this in many ways. For instance, desk booking solutions allow teams to work closely through “office neighborhoods” to promote a hybrid remote work culture. 

3,Wider Talent Pools and Lower Real Estate Costs

Businesses are always looking to maximize limited resources. Transitioning towards a hybrid workforce is a great solution for optimizing said resources.  

Hybrid work arrangements can even allow companies to hire internationally. Since they can work most, if not all of the time, remotely, companies instead have access to a wider pool of global talent.

Additionally, thanks to alternating in-office shifts, more employees can work from home. This reduces the need for office space, which cuts down on real estate costs. It also leads to a better hybrid work-life balance for employees.

What Are the Do’s and Don’ts in Making a Hybrid Working Office Space?

Hybrid work models are increasingly becoming the norm in many workplaces around the world. However, like all new changes, transitioning to a hybrid office comes with a learning curve. 

The learning curve can usually be attributed to the changes in work arrangements as well as tools. For example, switching to new integrations like an

Office 365 hybrid scheduling tool can take time to familiarize. 

The good news is that the learning curve doesn’t have to be steep. Here are the do’s and don’ts when it comes to making this kind of workspace:

#1: Do design your office to make it feel more welcoming for hybrid employees. 

Companies are shifting towards a hybrid workplace with a more open design. Rather than having dedicated cubicles, it’s better to redesign the office to feel more welcoming towards hybrid workers. 

Regardless of the office design, it needs to do something that working from home can’t do. Designing or re-designing it with collaboration can greatly improve team activities and social interaction.

The same applies when choosing between the different types of hybrid work models. Be sure to choose one that allows you to maximize the advantages of hybrid work.

#2. Don’t Downsize for the Sake of Downsizing. 

Downsizing solely for the sake of cutting down commercial real estate costs can have negative impacts on employees. Without a strategy to transition towards hybrid work, many employees will end up left behind.

While downsizing can be good, employees should be able to schedule desk spaces and rooms when more are available. 

Instead, allowing employees to schedule desk spaces and rooms at their own pace is better. Investing in tools like meeting and room scheduling software can help hybrid employees more easily schedule their onsite shifts.

#3. Do Understand Your Employees’ Needs

While it’s easy to think everyone prefers hybrid workspace solutions, it’s important to know that they come with challenges. 

One of these challenges is the lack of opportunities to socialize and network. Remote or hybrid work employees are more likely to feel lonely or less engaged compared to on-site employees. 

Managers should pay special attention to these employee groups when evaluating hybrid or remote work models. Encouraging mentoring or networking opportunities among these employees helps them feel more empowered.

#4. Don’t Let Office Workdays Turn into a Free-for-all Rush

One disadvantage of downsizing is the lack of a strategy for transitioning to a smaller, more agile workforce. 

The lack of a scheduling or booking system can be stressful for hybrid and remote employees. Additionally, employees won’t always sort their reservations based on space availability, even with hybrid office scheduling software.

Invest in effective tools that let employees book workspaces in advance to ensure a productive hybrid office working space. 

#5. Do Invest in the Right Technologies 

Remote work and hybrid work models rely on effective communication and file-sharing tools. These can range from video conferencing and messaging tools to cloud-based file-sharing platforms. 

Other tools, like meeting room and desk booking software, are also needed to support a hybrid workforce. The right combination of these supporting tools can make teams faster and more productive than before. 

#6. Don’t Use Tools Without Integration Capabilities

Investing in the right tools is a great step towards increasing productivity. However, employees still need to take time to learn these new tools and how they are used. 

As a result, it’s important to choose the right tools that integrate with commonly used platforms. Tools with Office 365 hybrid integration will always be better since they reduce the learning curve for new users. 

Third-party integrations reduce the learning curve by allowing users to use the app from other platforms. For instance, Slack or Office 365 integration apps can be used from within those platforms. 

How to Know if Your Office is Ready for Hybrid Work

These days, the hybrid work arrangement isn’t just the standard but the norm. Many employees prefer to work from home, and working onsite can be seen as a big event.

That said, shifting towards a hybrid working office space isn’t easy. There are plenty of things to consider before making the switch. If you’ve been meaning to transition into hybrid work, you need to provide the following: 

1. You Can Offer a Space Other Than a Home or Office 

Hybrid work strategies should be more than just about how to negotiate hybrid work. In many cases, this “third space” is the one where employees want to spend the most time.

However, by offering this kind of space to employees, you also need to be looser with management. If you want to keep a better eye on productivity, try the following instead:

• Workforce Outcomes: You can measure productivity by tracking team output and how well they reach goals through collaboration. A hybrid work setup means that sometimes people work from the office and sometimes from home. For this to work well, everyone needs to trust each other and do their jobs responsibly.
• Business Outcomes: Using hybrid workspace solutions can help save money and also lets companies hire great workers from all over the world.

2. Your Business Has Enough Resources to Transition

Transitioning your workplace structure to hybrid takes time, tools, resources, and commitment. On top of that, you also need an adequate managerial structure to ensure support for your team. More specifically, you need:

• Consistency: Setting alternating schedules for online meetings requires consistency. As a result, having software for scheduling employees is a priority.

• Support for Building Skill Sets: A hybrid workforce requires organizations to be proactive in soft skills development. Creating opportunities to improve employees’ soft skills improves collaboration and overall flexibility. 
• Trust-based Productivity:  Trust is very important when people work in different places, like at home and in the office. Instead of checking on people all the time, it’s good to have weekly meetings to talk about what they need to do.

   

  3. You Can Make Sure Employees Are Treated Equally

When you use computer programs like Office 365 for hybrid work, it helps make sure that everyone, whether they work at home or in the office, is treated fairly. Think about what does hybrid work mean for your team.

The answer to getting employees on board is, in one word, “engagement.” You can always get this engagement with a simple poll or survey. In-person meetings to encourage discussions can also work.

How Should You Design Your Hybrid Office for Success?

Hybrid work has different needs compared to remote and onsite work. As a result, offices for hybrid work arrangements need more flexible spaces.  

Because of this, you should design your office space to meet the needs of your hybrid workforce. Its layout, furniture, and equipment, in particular, all need to allow for more and better face-to-face collaboration. 

Here are a few tips to help you optimize your hybrid office design:

Tip #1. Plan your Space 

Your space should meet the needs of your work, but more importantly, it should meet the needs of your employees. 

The first step in designing is defining what you want your new workplace to achieve. For instance, do you want a more cost-effective office? Do you want your office to increase morale? 

Before you start making or changing flexible spaces, think about these questions. This also applies when deciding rules for desk sharing at work. It helps you make clear plans for the space you want.

Tip #2. Deal with Challenges

Creating the ideal hybrid workplace comes with its own challenges. These can include not having enough room or problems with talking to each other. When you use online tools, you might also face risks of cyber attacks.

The good news is that there are tools to overcome these challenges. For example, hybrid office sharing software is an amazing tool for supplementing your mix of common areas and modular furniture. 

Tip #3. Invest in Good Technology

Hybrid offices depend on technology, which means that investing in the right hybrid workplace solutions cannot be understated. 

Depending on your organization’s needs, it can range from video conferencing tools to virtual whiteboards, microphones, and webcams. This is especially true for working hybrid arrangements like a hot desk or flex desk system.

The key is setting up to work as seamlessly as possible for all employees. In today’s post-pandemic environment, these tools aren’t just an investment but a requirement for long-term viability and success.

The Bottom Line

The hybrid workplace is definitively the new norm. The many advantages of hybrid work, including its versatility and flexibility, mean that hybrid work is here to stay. 

Moving to a hybrid work model isn’t easy. It needs lots of time, planning, good use of resources, and support for employees.

Understanding what you should and shouldn’t do, and the pros and cons of hybrid work can make the change easier. Having a clear plan and knowing what to avoid can help your business succeed for a long time.