Change is an inevitable part of business and life, but the last year and a half has forced it on the office at a rapid pace. The return to work has started and stopped and many companies have begun to consider that the office of the past may be gone for good. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 25-30% of the workplace may be working from home at least part of the time by the end of this year. While many studies show that up to 80% of the workforce wants to be. It is clear that the workplace layout will need to rise to meet these changing employee needs. Modern commercial furniture can help create a hybrid office space for a safe, agile, and thriving team.
What is a hybrid office?
More employees are working from home than ever before. To meet this trend and the growing desire for this additional flexibility, companies are adopting a hybrid office model. This can mean different things for different industries, but what is consistent is that a percentage of their employees are working from home at least one day a week. And the numbers support this hybrid office model. 72% of employees want to continue to work from home at least 2 days a week. 74% of employees want the option to come into the office. 51% expect less density of employees in the office and more space for collaboration.
It is clear the pandemic has forced a change in the way employees work, and this will impact how future workspaces will be designed.
When companies put the physical and mental wellbeing of their employees first, a hybrid environment is the best response. Fortunately, we are at a time when we have the technology to accommodate the increased flexibility and changes required to create a hybrid office. It is clear the pandemic has forced a change in the way employees work, and this will impact how future workspaces will be designed. The new hybrid workplace puts the focus on wellness, flexibility, and collaboration, supporting both the employer and employee’s needs. Here are our top 5 modern commercial furniture themes to meet the wellness and mobile needs of your team.
The Hybrid Office is Flexible
Flexibility has been a key driver as companies have navigated the pandemic, and will continue to be as we navigate the hybrid office. Modern workstations are highly customizable. Not only can the colors be changed to reflect your company branding, but the layout can be adapted to meet the day-to-day changes of your employees. Whether you are looking for adjustable height desks, higher protective screens, or ergonomic chairs and keyboards, modern commercial furniture can adapt. This flexibility will allow employees movement throughout the day because each individual station can be adjusted separately.
To be successful in this new normal, businesses need to plan for and encourage collaboration.
Modern office cubicles facilitate a safe hybrid office. With the addition of privacy screens, there is protection for your employees and a separate space within an open floor plan. Our modern commercial furniture is made with cleanable materials such as laminate, acrylic, or markerboard that is easily sanitized. This creates ideal workstations that can be shared by multiple employees throughout the week. As flexible as your company was over the last 18 months, we recommend you remain. By using your floorplan creatively, you can create a workspace that allows your staff to work from home and the office seamlessly.
Modern Commercial Furniture for Hotdesking
Commercial office spaces have reopened. Strategic office designs put the health and safety of employees first but also business’s bottom lines. Even before the pandemic, much of the office space was underutilized, between employee sick days, flextime, personal days, and vacations. Now with the emergence of the hybrid office, strategic floorplans and office layouts need to include hotdesking.
Hotdesking means multiple employees utilizing the same workstation. These unassigned desks, help to ensure that employees can not only work where they feel most comfortable but surround by the team members that will advance their projects. This can be fluid and adapt to changing workforces as employees come and go on their hybrid schedule and assignments as new teams are formed. With new variants of COVID-19 still affecting much of the world, this agile workstation could be a hard sell to some employees. Including modern commercial furniture with easily sanitized surfaces can help dissuade these fears.
Collaboration Spaces for a Thriving Business
To be successful in this new normal, businesses need to plan for and encourage collaboration. Companies have faced crises before. During the financial crisis of 2007/2008, those executives who prioritized collaboration grew their businesses and continued this upward path after. Collaboration was the key to these individuals not only surviving but thriving. The workforce looks different now as more companies shift to a hybrid office model. Creating spaces for consistent and agile collaboration can put your company on a path to success.
The addition of modern commercial furniture allows businesses to create spaces that can move and change with your hybrid workforce. Collaboration spaces allow organizations to bring experts with unique specializations to solve the rapidly changing issues that continue to emerge. Each individual brings different expertise and experience and this change in perspective can help teams find new and innovative solutions to projects, assignments, and problems.
A Hybrid Office Requires Cleanable Surfaces
As the workforce adapts to the hybrid model and flexible seating arrangements, cleanable surfaces will be a key factor to consider. Modern commercial furniture has surfaces and dividers that can be easily sanitized between shifts, days, or as employees move throughout the workspace. Designs created with non-porous materials are the easiest to maintain proper sanitation.
Companies that will continue to thrive need to keep an agile approach to the work environment.
Flexibility and mobility are essential to employee productivity. Your office layout needs to keep health and wellness at. Office layouts should also include access to hand sanitizing stations at regular intervals to ensure that as employees move about the building to work in new spaces, they are keeping themselves and others protected. Even as the threat of COVID-19 has decreased, cold and flu season is right around the corner and a healthy workforce should be every companies top priority.
Employee Comfort while at the Office
Working in the office is often very different from working in the comfort of your own home. But it doesn’t have to be. Make the transition from home to office easy on your team. Incorporate modern commercial furniture that is as comfortable as your living room couch. These pieces can be incorporated into your open office concepts, lounge areas, or break room spaces. Create a warm welcoming area where employees can bring their best work to the office while feeling right at home.
A quiet space to focus in a home office is one of the perks that many employees loved. Creating quiet space within your layout can bring these same spaces to your office. Acoustic furniture with sound-absorbing material or sound barriers can bring peace and calm to an otherwise noisy office space. When it is time to focus, employees have the flexibility to chose spaces that will encourage concentration without being away from the team.
It is clear the pandemic has forced a change in the way employees work. Companies that will continue to thrive need to keep an agile approach to the work environment. This includes how the future workspaces will be designed. The new hybrid office needs to put collaboration, wellness, and flexibility first. By supporting both the employer and employee’s needs, you can ensure worker productivity while boosting empowerment and fulfillment.
Now is the time to explore modern commercial furniture and create a fresh hybrid office for your team.
Hybrid Workspaces Need Thoughtful Office Furniture
Stay Healthy When You Return to Work
Want to learn more about designing a hybrid office? Check out our comprehensive guide!
