Life After COVID-19: Transitioning Back to an In-Person Workplace
14 Oct 2020
COVID-19 has thrusted unprecedented challenges upon companies and their employees. The pandemic has forced us to quickly adjust to working from home and adapt to new ways of working. Just as we get used to this new normal, many employers are gradually sending their employees back to the office. But as organizations transition back to the office, the pre-pandemic ways of working just aren’t going to cut it.
Many employees are happier working from home because they have more free time and better work-life balance when they don’t have to commute to and from the office. They also appreciate the flexibility and autonomy that working from home affords them.
A growing number of workers would rather not return to working in an office or they would rather operate under a hybrid model, where they work part of the time at home and part of the time at the office. What’s more, in order to maintain social distancing, organizations can’t have all of their employees working in the office at the same time. Therefore, the practice of giving everyone an assigned desk in the office is starting to fade and there has been a shift in how offices are used.
Supporting Activity-Based Working
One of the most important roles that the office will play in these unprecedented times is as a collaborative space that supports interactions that cannot happen in a remote work environment. The workplace will inevitably become a central place for employees to meet and discuss specific projects and carry out tasks that aren’t compatible with remote work. As a result, companies will need to re-examine their workspaces and requirements.
A growing number of organizations are following an activity-based working model, wherein employees are provided a variety of workspaces to choose from. Employees tend to be more productive when they have the right workspace for the given task.
Visualize Your Workspace
Think about what types of spaces should be included in your new workspace design. You need a variety of spaces to suit all types of work, including the following:
- Hot desks
- Stand-up tables
- Lounge areas
- Individual spaces, like phone booths
- Huddle rooms
- Informal meeting areas
- Meeting rooms
The amount of space you devote to each of those categories should depend on the size of your organization, the industry you’re in, and other factors. Before planning how to design your new workspace, it’s best to survey your employees first to find out what kind of workplace would make them feel the most productive and comfortable.
Find the Right Technology
The right tools can streamline work processes and ease your workday. Add-On Products offers a suite of solutions for enhancing productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Resource Central is our meeting room and resource booking software for Microsoft Outlook®, Exchange, and Microsoft 365. Digital Sign Service is our software for conference room and hot desk signs, and Workspace is our mobile app for booking meeting rooms and workspaces before arriving at the office.
To learn more about our meeting and resource booking tools and how they can help you solve challenges in the modern-day workplace, contact us today to schedule a free online demo and take a look at our return to office guidelines.
