As the lockdown begins to lift and vaccine uptake increases, offices are once again opening their doors. However, according to research bodies such as the University of Texas, many of the Work From Home brigade don’t quite feel prepared to go back. Whether it’s COVID concerns, commuting or office politics - we explore how the post-lockdown, hybrid workplace of the future is solving many of the issues of the past.
As the lockdown begins to lift and vaccine uptake increases, offices are once again opening their doors. However, according to research bodies such as the University of Texas, many of the Work From Home brigade don’t quite feel prepared to go back. Whether it’s COVID concerns, commuting or office politics - we explore how the post-lockdown, hybrid workplace of the future is solving many of the issues of the past.
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The advent of the internet meant the ability to stay connected any time, from anywhere - which made working from home, or housing fully remote teams, possible for the first time in history. However, few workplaces have been keen to disrupt the status quo by pioneering such schemes on a mass scale - until it became a necessity during the pandemic.
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Since then, many employees have expressed feeling productive at home, more in control of their schedules, and appreciated the benefits of reduced commute times and costs. Commuting has for a long time now, been known to be one of the biggest factors negatively impacting workplace wellbeing.
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While harbouring its own drawbacks, on the whole, working from home has returned a level of autonomy to employees that they thought they had signed away for good. It makes it easier for people to keep their schedules flexible in order to make space for life, including child care or other responsibilities.
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On a simplistic level, it’s come to be seen that working from home benefits the individual, while working from the office is good for the organisation and benefits the individual more indirectly. However this need not be the case, and the hybrid workplace of the future is integrating polarities by aligning individual and collective benefits in a way that promotes diversity and choice.
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Creative And Collaborative Culture
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It’s not easy to start a brand new role remotely. Part of being initiated into workplace culture is becoming immersed in the environment. We learn how to navigate a new space by getting to know the people within it, observing interactions and attending workshops or events.
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However this need not become a lost cause. As more opportunities move online and a hybrid format combines the best of both worlds, getting out of the kitchen and back into the world of work, the city or your local co-working space will stimulate any dormant social neurones. When people’s core values are already aligned with those of their company, this becomes second nature.
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Commuting may not be gone forever, but the hybrid workplace allows you the flexibility to make it less of a chore. Whether that’s in the form of commuting for fewer days a week, while working from home or from a local workspace provider the rest of the time, or commuting at quieter hours, leading to shorter travel times.
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Business is all about relationships and there’s no denying that being around a diverse array of people stimulates collaboration and creativity, with zoom calls failing to fully replace those more spontaneous water cooler moments. From a personal perspective, many people’s social relationships took a big hit during almost an entire year of lockdown, and the return to daily human interaction is a welcome one.
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Workplace Wellbeing
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If COVID taught us anything, it’s that health is wealth. And the workplace is no exception. Most workplace providers have now introduced effective measures to keep their inhabitants safe. Including social distancing policies, regular cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, masks, vaccinations and leveraging smart technology to reduce overcrowding and surface contact.
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However beyond the basic necessities, the world of work is also becoming a central hub for employee wellbeing. Given that we spend most of our lives at work, this is one of the fastest and most impactful ways to create benefits that ripple out into society at large. Just as the Friedman model of capitalism is on its way out, the burn-out workplace culture of the past is also being replaced by its more holistic and sustainable counterpart.
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From design to workplace practices, putting people and wellbeing at the heart of business and society is demonstrating positive individual and collective effects. Spaces such as x+why are crafted with effective ergonomics in mind. Simple solutions including more natural lighting, access to outdoor spaces, wellbeing events and perks are going the extra mile. For businesses this is resulting in happier employees, greater retention rates, and increased output. In the world of hybrid work, starting your own business is no longer the only way to gain greater flexibility and choice.
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Profitable Personalisation - For People And Planet
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Just as in healthcare, the world of work is uncovering that there is ‘no one size fits all’ approach to workplace best practices. Given that we are all genetically unique, with a diverse array of contextual circumstances affecting our lifestyles and life choices, solutions cannot be prescriptively one dimensional.
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For businesses this is translating into greater agility, flexibility and overheads. Gone are the days of long, bureaucratic processes and lengthy tenancy contracts. Most hybrid workspaces now offer solutions that allow businesses to change size and shape as their ever-evolving demands require.
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Monthly rolling contracts are often all-inclusive, meaning no need for furnishings, space wastage or missing out on the latest releases in tech. Having such needs taken care of in one flexible package allows mission-driven companies to focus on what they do best - creating solutions to positively impact people and planet.
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Spaces such as x+why are built with this in mind. Sustainability is at the heart of what they do, having recently achieved BREEM standard certification - the gold standard in sustainable workplace practices. This includes reducing, reusing and recycling waste material, or encouraging biodiversity through rooftop installations, making your workplace practices greener simply by joining.
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Better Balance
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At its core, what the hybrid workplace stands for is a better balance. As human beings we need social interaction, not to mention the energy, cooperation and collaboration that comes from being with colleagues or within a buzzy co-working atmosphere. This has an impact not just on our work, but on our mental health and wellbeing too.
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The hybrid workplace allows businesses to find greater balance between central head quarters and distributed satellite offices, which rolls over into a greater work-life balance for their employees. As well as transforming how we work, changes are taking to place when it comes to evaluating the reasons why. At the heart of fulfilment lies meaning and purpose.
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The two central tenets of businesses that are still standing post-COVID include sustainability and resilience. Many believe that COVID has accelerated the move away from an outdated Friedman paradigm, and towards a more purpose-driven era of socially responsible Capitalism.
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The prevailing predisposition for purpose means that the future looks bright - creating enterprises and societies that are focused on advancing more than just the bottom line. And the B Corporation movement has come to signal the gold-standard of what it means to incorporate all of community, employees, environment, customers and governance into the integrative mix.
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With an increasing number of SMEs taking the lead when it comes to making health central to the workplace revolution, the re-opening of the office is cause for celebration. From finding more meaning and purpose through work, to fostering community and adjusting workspace practices, there’s never been a better time to join such a progressive space.
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