Hybridization of work modes: the new role of the office

Thenew place of the office: what are employees' expectations?

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There was a before and after 2020. Worker preferences have changed dramatically. Employees now demand healthy work rhythms and want to be able to choose the work environment that best suits them (depending on their habits, activities, location, employer-imposed rules...). 

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Employees in search of balance

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Achieving a work-life balance is a top priority for workers today. It is essential to take into account what really motivates people to go to the office to give it a new meaning.

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Clearly, the provision of ancillary services (coffee machine, fruit available, concierge service, etc.) is no longer a strong enough argument to bring employees back to the office. We need to offer them more convincing, useful and beneficial elements to improve the quality of life at work and optimize their work experience. 

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Make people want to come back to the office: yes, but how?

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This is clearly one of the challenges of hybrid management. Coming to the office should no longer be an obligation, but a pleasure. This internal workspace must remain attractive. Here are 4 tips to make your employees want to come back to the office.

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1. Think of the office as a social hub

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With thehybridization of work, companies are trying to find solutions to recreate the link. To do so, the office must be synonymous with conviviality and foster an inspiring and warm atmosphere. Many people come to the office mainly for the exchanges. 

The collaborative side is also highly sought after. To encourage collaboration in a synchronized way, it is important to offer team meetings and rituals. This is the best way today to collaborate effectively in a hybrid work model.

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* Worklab is a laboratory for observation and experimentation on hybrid work. Initiated by Worklib, the laboratory brings together the perspectives of numerous experts, researchers and companies to anticipate and share the mutations of work.

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2. See the office as a refuge to focus

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In addition to the need for collaboration and conviviality, the office must also allow employees to work alone and in peace. When asked "what to do in the office", we find "to concentrate " and "to be calm ". If the social side is present, there are indeed other vocations. 

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The case of the open space

Theopen space is a place where it can be difficult to concentrate (because of the noise) and to collaborate (for fear of disturbing others). We then often find ourselves with a space where no activity is possible. In this case, how to functionalize the spaces and allow them to respond to all the uses of the employees?

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The concept of privacy levels

To reorganize and structure offices, companies can rely on the concept of "privacy levels", supported by Orangebox, and create 5 different spaces:  

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• Level 1 is an open-access, undefined space. 
• Level 2 consists of areas dedicated to team collaboration.
• Level 3 has physical but transparent boundaries, visual but not acoustic separations, to leave room for serendipity. When a person passes in the corridor, it is possible to call out to him or her to exchange ideas. 
• Level 4 is a space where the acoustic confidentiality is total to work quietly. 
• Level 5 is a place for seclusion, such as individual cubicles. This concept can be implemented with a desk ratio of 0.5 - that is, when there is only one desk for every two employees, leaving enough room for other uses.

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3. Designing spaces to meet uses 

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The office is supposed to aggregate all the uses and types of activities of its employees in the same place. Spaces must be designed for real uses and all areas must be optimized to prevent some from being neglected. Prioritize the most frequent uses!

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The case of meeting rooms

The meeting rooms are highly functionalized spaces, heavily used on Tuesdays and Thursdays during peak periods, but often empty the rest of the week. The concept of zoningThe concept of zoning, or the idea of setting up spaces by type of activity rather than by department, is very interesting here. 

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4. Propose adequate tools

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Simplicity is also the key word for the new office organization. Theuser experience - whether it's to book a room, an office, a parking space or a time slot in the canteen - must be optimal whether you're in the office or at home.

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There are easy-to-use workspace reservation tools that can be accessed from a smartphone or a computer. These tools also provide managers with statistics on the occupancy rate of rooms, avoiding peaks in attendance and inconvenience to employees (meeting rooms already occupied...).

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Do you want to make your offices attractive and make your employees want to come and work there? Apply our advice and integrate your internal workspaces into a hybrid work approach.

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Worklib helps you breathe new life into your offices with effective tools to build a more collaborative, productive and sustainable hybrid working model. Want to find out more?

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