The coronavirus crisis has brought about many changes; Some present us with disruptive scenarios and others have accelerated trends that had been “hitting hard” for a long time, such as “liquid work”, driven by new technologies and digital transformation.
The truth is that there are more and more ‘liquid workers’, employees who can work at any time and from any place, and with any type of labor relationship.
Schedule flexibility, in these complex circumstances that we are experiencing, takes on greater prominence than ever. In fact, according to a study conducted by Adecco Group, of 1000 employees from different countries, 80% think it is important to implement more flexibility in how and where can work.
The office is not going away. So what about this widespread commitment to remote work? The answer seems clear: the future of work and workspaces is hybrid.
What is a hybrid office?
What is a hybrid office? As the name suggests, in the hybrid office employees have the flexibility to work from the company or anywhere else.
Does it work for any type of office? Undoubtedly, not. In fact, companies are already designing and implementing spaces that are quite different from those before the pandemic. As an example: “If 50% of the workforce does not go to the office, why should each employee have an assigned workstation?” The alternative, more than ever, are non-territorial shared workstations where each space belongs to everyone.
On the other hand, if we can work from anywhere – the office “travels” with us – why are we going to go to the company? To collaborate with others, neither more nor less. Our DNA is social, and in new offices collaborative spaces take precedence over those of individual use.
In this new era of hybrid working home offices will live side by side with working on company premises because although there are companies that are offering their staff the opportunity to work 100% remotely, working at home has many shortcomings that negatively impact on employee satisfaction and productivity.
The office is the workforce hub and the soul of the companies; it is the place where things happen. Its role is now social, and this has clear benefits in terms of motivation, communication, cooperation and in people´s welfare. In this sense, offices represent an essential asset for the productivity of companies.
The best furniture for teleworking
And the same as companies oversee the health and safety of their employees on their grounds, a healthy and comfortable workspace at home is a pressing need for more and more people.
That space where we work from home must meet the same ergonomic requirements as our usual workstations in the company. For this, the furniture must be designed to provide a correct posture during the work day, facilitating maximum comfort and well-being of its users.
How do the office chair and table have to be to telework? We will tell you about that in this other post.
Furniture and technology for teamwork, also remotely
Digital technologies have driven new work dynamics, such as remote work, which today has become more of a necessity than a trend.
Workers today can carry out their work from anywhere, but teams – wherever they are physically – need to keep connecting, collaborating, and sharing ideas and projects. In short, co-creating.
Collaboration can occur between people located in different locations, but also between various face-to-face teams that share physical space and information from their devices and interact with others virtually.
Where do you meet in the office to work as a team in person and / or remotely? They need spaces prepared for it, with furniture equipped with technology. Depending on the use, they can be formal, such as meeting rooms, or more informal, such as collaboration areas or training rooms.
For example, as a result of the Covid19 crisis, remote meetings are promoted from meeting rooms, which are therefore equipped with technology.
A very good choice for these rooms is Ofita´s iSurf table
The iSurf meeting table incorporates technology ideal for enhancing collaboration between people. One of the characteristic features of this table is its elevatable central module which, in addition to incorporating a soft and warm lighting system, integrates state-of-the-art connectivity that allows users to share information in real time.
In its standing height version, the iSurf table is ideal for more informal, improvised and shorter meetings, as shown in this image.
Technology for the reservation of teamwork spaces
… And speaking of technology for teamwork, we could not ignore space reservation solutions, such as those of Ofita and Condeco . With these systems, users can reserve space online, using a mobile app, in a booth, on digital screens in rooms and workstations, or on the Outlook calendar.
