How to Make Going Back to the Office Inviting, Productive and Cost-Effective

Many of the global workforces are happy to be working from home. Some would even take a pay cut just to work remotely forever. However, it isn’t the case for everyone. It’s even a no-deal for big bosses. Remote work setup, no matter how much benefits it brings, some job roles, such as in the administrative position, would require office appearance every now and then.

The main argument for employers wanting their employees to return to the office is the company culture and the social needs. At the same time, other bosses emphasize better supervision and team management. Whichever reason, employers should try hard to understand their employees’ needs, adapt to them, in order to make sense of keeping an office.

Redefining office not in place, but in employees’ needs.

The office is not, as some have claimed, dead. What it needs is, in fact, its purpose. If employers could redesign work offices that encourages interactive and collaborative exchange between the teams, employees would simply be happy to return. It’s all about the context people work in. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Microsoft last year, the work environment plays an important role for employees (55%) when considering a job.

Remote working glory is not absolute. There’s a reason worth mentioning why some employees and big bosses want to work in the office. For one, better communication and supervision. According to this article by Forbes, here are the benefits the office can still offer to employees:

• Socialization
• Better idea sharing
• Clear borderline between work and home
• Workplace perks
• Return to normalcy

Many employees want the benefits above. However, these office benefits should outweigh or parallel the perks the employees are getting from working from home setup.

The goal of the new office concept is to meet the employees’ needs. In addition, companies don’t need to try so hard to persuade employees to return to the office. Instead, they should shift their focus to office policies and office remodeling.

Salesforce, for example, cut its desk space by 40% and replaced it with a floor plan that emphasizes teamwork. It also emphasizes balance of solo and collaborative work. 

The Old Days are Gone

Returning to the office doesn’t mean that employees must be there all the time, much like in the old days. In 2020, companies like Google, Uber, and Qualtrics had announced a three-day in-office work schedule to respond to the situation. This strategy resulted in the company’s continuing operations and employees’ being continuously productive despite the COVID-19 concerns.

A hybrid work approach is only one of the strategies companies use to persuade their employees to come back to the office. Amenities and working conditions are other things companies need to look after by gathering information through surveys. In addition, employers could pick two or a combination of them when reshaping wokspaces below.

Also Read: Going Back To The Office: Getting Your Checklist Ready This 2022

Reshaping office space

It’s time to rethink offices in a post-pandemic world. To get employees to return to the office, companies may consider the following below in reshaping office spaces:

Offering new amenities

Office amenities are one of the most important things employees consider when deciding whether or not to go back to the office. Amenities, such as office pods, are useful for employees who take frequent calls around the workspace with many others. They need more privacy and an environment where they can comfortably talk to the other people in the line. Pods are also good for workers who do most of their work online, especially where virtual work reigns.

Essential office amenities in a post pandemic designed for air quality and reducing stress are also worth considering. Another is to ask your employees the amenities they need to do their work efficiently.

Also Read: Top 10 Must-Haves When Looking For A Coworking Space In Hong Kong

Office design

A cramped desk and chairs that look identical to one another will not cut it. For instance, a group of creative artists or computer programmers will need a different workspace design from an accountant or solicitor. Companies need to make it a place that encourages collaboration and teamwork when redesigning a workspace.

Flexibility at work

Employers can offer their employees a work from anywhere setup where they can work wherever they want on a particular work schedule. It could be in the coworking space near their place or where they find the most productive during their remote working days.

If you need help finding reliable and collaborative coworking spaces in Hong Kong, Deskimo is an excellent place to start hunting.

Accommodating company policy

The employees’ needs vary, and each has their own preferences regarding whether to work in the office or work most of the time remotely. For instance, creative digital artists can work anywhere they want. However, for some employees, such as managers and executives, would prefer to work in the office most of the time. Therefore, the company policy should be flexible enough to accommodate each employee’s work preference.

Also Read: 7 Top Secret Tips To Succeed As A Remote Manager

Workplace Management Solutions (WMS)

When talking about cost-efficiency in workplaces, WMS offers excellent visibility and transparency in ensuring the movement among the employees around the workspace in the most efficient way. Operations and HR leaders should also start to collect behavioral analytics in the office space to promote workplace collaboration. It boost team productivity and realize rental cost optimization via improved space efficiency.

If you’re looking for cost-efficient solutions, Deskimo has WMS solutions from trusted partners. It also has the dedicated coworking space open anytime for your employees’ needs.

Conclusion

Office spaces are home to millions of employees worldwide. Although the number of users may have dropped but its reason to exist has not changed. In order to bring back the excitement employees feel about working at the office, it should be resigned to answer the needs of the new normal.

About Deskimo (YCS21)

Empowering the paradigm shift in hybrid work is at the heart of Deskimo’s mission. Deskimo (YCS21) helps businesses and teams transform their workplace policies to become more productive, collaborative, and cost-effective. With operations in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia, Deskimo provides integrated workplace solutions – a Workspace Access Platform (WAP) and Workplace Management System (WMS) – to help management and team leaders boost team productivity (5 annual days per employee), improve employee engagement (by 7x), and cut office costs (by 20%).