Hybrid workplace: definition and challenges

Hybrid work is gaining ground. This method of organizing workspaces comprises various working modes: hot-desking, activity-based-working, shared desks, etc.

Hybrid workplaces, or flexible offices, have the particularity of no longer allocating fixed desks to employees. Every day, they can choose a different workstation, at random, or by reservation. This organization allows for a better distribution of private/collaborative spaces in companies, at a time when teleworking is emptying open spaces.

According to a Eurofound survey, more than 50% of European employees would like a flexible work organization that allow them to work from home multiple times a week. But this change in organization is not so simple: questioning of teams, day-to-day management, scalability…

What are the advantages and disadvantages of hybrid workplaces?

Pros 
Cost reduction / Less routine / Lots of social bonding / Productivity and creativity

Cons
Impersonal office / Poor flexible desk management / Difficulty to integrate / Distraction / Difficulty in keeping in touch

This type of office organization is becoming increasingly attractive to companies seeking potential cost reductions. Several office workstations may remain unused at times due to various factors, including teleworking, holidays, sick leave, maternity or paternity leave, etc. A flexible office design, characterized by a smaller number of workstations than the total number of employees, has been shown to reduce costs and optimize space utilization.

It is also advantageous for employees. This new arrangement breaks their routine: they can move to a new desk each day, enjoy different comforts depending on their mood (table, desk, sofa, collaborative or isolated space), and rub shoulders with different colleagues each day. Such mix allows people not to get bored but also to create more social links! All these advantages lead to a better quality of life at work, and we know that this has a direct impact on improving productivity at work. In fact, a study by Bloom at Work has shown that fulfilled employees are on average 86% more creative.

However, this concept of the flexible office also requires a good level of adaptation on the part of employees: no more family photos in a corner of the desk and peanuts in the second drawer… Working in such an environment can be difficult for employees who like being in their own little cocoon: the impersonal office is not for them. Beyond this simple fact, the risk of being badly organized and of finding oneself at work without a vacancy or far from one’s team can demotivate employees.

And if the flexible office is synonymous with new encounters, it can also easily distract the most curious. Changing desks every day is a challenge that is not always easy to overcome: setting up, plugging in, tidying up, and talking to new colleagues… To avoid these aspects, managers need to know how to implement the hybrid working model and motivate their staff to return.

What are the key steps to implement a hybrid workplace?‍

1. Preparing the calendar and assigning attendance days

The aim of the hybrid working models is to offer more flexibility and collaboration with less private space. For this to be possible, the company or the employees themselves must anticipate and organize their presence on site. It is therefore essential for employees to agree on a schedule that is ready to be implemented!

2. Flexible workplace

Hybrid working means the provision of a variety of offices and working environments. By anticipating the management of these spaces, companies seek to facilitate exchanges and professional meetings and instill more dynamism and collaboration on a daily basis. Depending on the rhythm of the company, or even of each team, the needs for workstations and shared spaces will not be the same. It is therefore essential to assess the maximum presence on-site in order to propose the appropriate number of private or shared spaces. The same applies to ancillary services such as company catering or concierge services.

Managers must therefore anticipate:

• “spatial” flexibility, for open or semi-open spaces with a multitude of functions and services
• “occupancy” flexibility, for spaces that can be booked for specific periods of time.

Yes, a successful hybrid working space is a space where the flexibility of space and optimal management go hand in hand!

3. Indication of reserved areas

Some companies leave the spaces entirely accessible to all employees, by applying 100% free placements. However, this method has its limits: studies show that an employee needs a minimum of reference points in the workplace.

In order to maintain team cohesion, some companies, therefore, opt for a placement around which the teams meet in the same delimited area, floor, or shared space. However, everyone is free to move to the desk that suits them best, depending on their mood of the day. After all, it is the flexible spirit that prevails!

Anticipating the hybrid workplace therefore also means thinking about the added value that it brings. If the idea is to break the routine while keeping a certain framework for the employees, then it is effective to prepare delimited areas according to the choice of the managers and teams, to think about the availability of workstations in these areas, and to make them possibly modular. This management is time-consuming: it is best to set it up before the employees arrive!

4. Use of a digital solution to manage hybrid workplaces

In order to optimize space and create a quality offer, it is essential to equip yourself with workspace management software, instant messaging, space reservation platforms, etc. The list can quickly grow. What if an all-in-one application such as Witco was the solution to manage flexible spaces efficiently and easily?

In short, hybrid work is a revolution in the making! It disrupts the habits of employees while responding to the needs for flexibility and collaboration that surround the “return to the office”. To be adopted, this type of organization must be accompanied.  Adaptation of the rules of use, consultation with the teams, adapted space planning but above all management and monitoring tools… The flexible office cannot be improvised! Thinking about it – and having the tools to manage it – is now the guarantee of sound management: with Witco, space managers can find out in real-time the occupancy rate of the premises and, above all, the satisfaction of the teams. This is an effective way of identifying the improvements that need to be made to ensure that the office is always at the service of the employees. Discover our hybrid work solution!

To find out more, schedule a demonstration today with our team!