Reimagining The Workspace In The New Normal
9/12/2022 | By Marella Gimenez
The coronavirus epidemic has disrupted the labour market, leading to an extensive sequence of experiments with flexible work arrangements. These methods have established the "new normal," which includes how work should operate in the post-pandemic era.
The conventional ties between employees and employers, work schedule and working hours, work-life balance, and workers' attitudes to work have all been put to the test by these new arrangements, particularly flexible work arrangements.
In reaction to the pandemic, employee health and well-being emerged as one of the top priorities of businesses. The hybrid work setup fosters this objective.
The hybrid work arrangement is a flexible work method where employees occasionally work remotely from a location using cloud technologies, such as their home, but occasionally report physically to the office.
RTO Challenge - What Workers Feel
According to a new report, employees prioritize work-life balance, flexibility, and mental health as they look to their companies for assurance about the future.
After the COVID-19 outbreak upended conventional working procedures, businesses are reviewing their policies and working arrangements.
What are employees thinking about as they get ready to return? As they prepare for a workplace that will be both familiar and different, people report having conflicting emotions and feeling a little nervous. It's understandable why employees might be apprehensive about returning, given health issues and the oddity of not having face-to-face contact with each other for a long time, but there's more to the story.
Global employment company Indeed polled 450 people who had been working from home because of COVID-19 to determine how they felt about the impending transition. 74% of respondents worked in offices before the pandemic; therefore, the preceding year brought significant changes to their everyday routines. Most employees have returned to the office by the end of 2021, and one-third have been called back in the next three months, just in time for back-to-school season, while 13% will continue working from home indefinitely.
More than half of employees are optimistic about going back to work.
The beginning of a new school year and returning to work can evoke conflicting feelings. Employees are almost evenly divided; more than half (51%) say they look forward to returning to work. While 27% of workers report feeling cheerful and 26% are hopeful, 31% of workers say they are uncertain on what to expect when they return. 25% of people say they are anxious, while 24% are utterly disinterested in returning.
Nervous expectation is expected, given that folks have been living at home for well over a year. Despite extensive immunization efforts in many regions of the country, COVID-19 is on the minds of many workers, and 71% of respondents are worried about the health hazards connected with the pandemic.
Employers can lessen this by setting rules to make the workplace safer for returning workers, such as separating desks or establishing precise rules on using masks. The sooner companies explain their ideas, the sooner they can assuage employees' concerns.
The majority of workers prefer hybrid choices.
Many businesses are looking into hybrid arrangements as an alternative to the conventional 9 to 5 setup regarding how the epidemic will affect how people will work in the future.
In actuality, 32% of employees would opt for a hybrid schedule in which they would spend two to three days at work and the remainder at home. 17% would choose a hybrid model where they would visit the office occasionally. 28% of the workers polled said they would instead work onsite full-time than work entirely remotely, while 23% would want to work on a full remote setup.
The good news is that while more than half (56%) of respondents expect to have their ideal schedule, 15%, unfortunately, do not, while 29% of people are still in the dark.
Back to Work Challenges
Businesses will face specific difficulties as workers return to the workplace. They must not only make sure that the workplace adheres to a specific standard of safety, but also develop a setting that meets the demands of those who have grown accustomed to and at ease working from home.
1. Creating a desire for employees to return to their workstations
A study made by Consultancy UK shows that almost 6 out of 10 employees do not genuinely want things to get back to "normal" at work. According to surveys, people had truly realized how unsatisfactory their work-life balance was before COVID-19, with 52% saying they had a better balance during lockdown. Naturally, these figures will vary depending on people's real job duties, the current office culture, company history, and commute time.
Others enjoy the lone work scenario where they can concentrate on their work without external interruptions while in the workplace. For some people, working from home is simply more convenient. Jobs that require a lot of data, like those in accounting, finance, etc., benefit from the absence of office distractions more than others.
2. Making the workplace secure
Some employers have taken the initiative to implement regulations that include minimizing needless office visits, social distance, routine desk and common area cleaning, and additional hand washing and sanitizing facilities.
The virus spread was further limited by adding barriers and screens between desks and scheduling start/break/end hours. It will be challenging to ensure staff feel secure returning to the workplace because some are approaching a full year of working only from home. Employees, especially those susceptible to sickness, may grow accustomed to expecting a consistent dedication to a clean and safe workplace.
3. Making the workplace secure
Some employers have taken the initiative to implement regulations that include minimizing needless office visits, social distance, routine desk and common area cleaning, and additional hand washing and sanitizing facilities.
The virus spread was further limited by adding barriers and screens between desks and scheduling start/break/end hours. It will be challenging to ensure staff feel secure returning to the workplace because some are approaching a full year of working only from home. Employees, especially those susceptible to sickness, may grow accustomed to expecting a consistent dedication to a clean and safe workplace.
4. Setting up reliable communication tools.
This is not only an issue for workers working remotely. The pliability of schedules and time zone differences cause issues with workflow. The State of Remote Work 2020 shows that 20% of respondents feel that collaboration and communication are the most challenging factors of working remotely. Nevertheless, 32% of respondents claim that having a flexible schedule is the best perk.
Employers must exert effort to give direction and set the tone for employee communication. Many instruments are available to promote better communication, but they are only as effective as the individuals who use them.
That entails spending time interviewing candidates and carefully examining their communication skills. Try out different communication technologies to see who performs best for your business. Request feedback from your remote employees and try your best to accommodate their preferences.
5. Setting priorities and managing projects.
Working from home provides more scheduling flexibility but also increases the issues in setting the right priorities for various work tasks. When putting off work for any reason, the temptation to watch a TV show, nap, or clean the house is always present for most telecommuters.
Use a cloud-based project management solution to assist with work prioritization. Employees should be able to access it from any location with an internet connection using a computer, smartphone, or tablet. This need for a dependable communication program brings us to …
6. Building a practical technology framework
In the office, chances are you provide your employees the computer and software subscriptions and any equipment required to do the job well. That's often not the case for remote workers, who are often required to use their own devices. This can create inconsistencies, cause issues when transferring information, and even slow production. Because of this, it's best to treat remote workers the same way you would if they were in the office and provide everything they need to get their job done.
The advantages of cloud-based choices include real-time updates and the absence of upgrading concerns. There will be some cost savings if team members want to use their tools, but to avoid future problems, it's crucial to ensure that everything they're using complies with specific standards.
7. Security
Maintaining information security across your organization can be challenging. Your team is in charge of keeping both personal and corporate information secure at all times, regardless of whether your remote workers are truly working from a basement office or while touring the world. Regardless of where your team works or the device they use, you must make sure that the private and sensitive information of your company is kept secure.
Education and training is imperative in this situation. To establish rules for setting passwords, visiting links in emails, uploading and downloading data, and using anti-malware software, create security policies. Employees need to comprehend the risks and how each member can contribute to lowering them. Install security software licenses and explain to workers that these are important to protect their devices and corporate data.
8. Implementing employee advancement programs.
Remote employees and team members working in an office are motivated to further their careers. However, choosing which team members to consider for a promotion can be challenging. A company should develop clear performance standards and promotion requirements so staff members can understand where they stand and where they will keep the best team members pleased and motivated.
Any remote employees should be held to the same standards as in-person employees. Utilize the employee assessment procedure you now use for remote teams, making only minor alterations as needed. Invest more attention to the quality and quantity of staff advancement than how much time they put in each week or how long they've been with you. Ask for feedback from coworkers and bosses and share it with the rest of your team. It won't be challenging to identify team members who go above and above when you maintain regular communication.
9. Maintaining visibility.
To authenticate tasks, many firms like to watch their employees in action. However, it's crucial to remember that merely being present at the office does not equate to productivity. Even though you can't physically see your remote team, you can monitor progress by looking at project status updates, timestamps, and communication threads. This makes tracking progress with an actual team identical to tracking it with a virtual team.
How can businesses respond to their workforce's demand for flexibility?
Modifying the workplace to better suit how we already work
Video and conference calls will continue to be an integral component of day-to-day business contacts because remote work is expected to become a permanent fixture for many employees, at least in some capacity. Meeting virtually eliminates the need to go to and from other locations; remote meetings, unless in-person meetings are required, will save everyone time and money!
In most industries, co-office spaces and workplaces have practically become the standard; even before the lockdown. Approximately 75% of the workforce was housed in these types of settings. Employees may need to rethink their workplace arrangement to provide increased privacy for calls since video calling is likely to become more commonplace daily. A hybrid work scheme and renting co-office spaces provide additional potential time and money-saving solutions.
Conclusion
The hybrid workplace concept allows employees to choose their preferred working environment, allowing for greater flexibility in the workforce. This flexible work arrangement combines the advantages of both remote work and on-site office work and enables you to work precisely how and where you choose.
After recording an 18.2% vacancy rate in the fourth quarter of 2021, the steady increase in office leasing this year indicates a minor comeback.
The real estate brokerage company also noted a shift toward unconventional office setups as many companies evaluated their current operations in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Alternative work arrangements have been adopted by businesses all around the world in an effort to preserve production and protect staff members against the coronavirus.
KMC has been at the forefront of customized hybrid work schemes. To provide a broader, more comprehensive talent roster, KMC has a presence in major cities all over the country.
Coworking memberships are available through KMC at key locations in the Philippines, including Manila, Cebu, Clark, and Iloilo. There is office space for every type of business, regardless of its stage, whether it is scaling up or down or if it requires a long-term or temporary fix.
You can work in an informal, open environment at your own pace and in our collaboration spaces. You can select your favorite coworking space location, make your payment, and maintain your booking online using our KMC HUB.
Everything you need to start working is provided in our serviced offices and is ready for you to move in. These office kinds, which range from pre-seed and incubating startups to growing multinationals, include coworking space, private offices, and even virtual office solutions.
Lack of use of on-site workspaces
Currently, business owners are paying full price for offices that are only used, on average, between 10% and 30% of the time. Managers contemplate downsizing or using other alternative workspaces when their primary office remains unused. And this is where the expertise of KMC Solutions comes in.
With KMC, you can
- Work from the main office
Fully equipped private offices that act as the headquarters for your company - Work close to home
For more accessible professional work environments, there are more than 20 KMC coworking spaces spread around Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, and Clark. - Working at home
KMC Home will set up a workstation at your door that meets professional KMC standards and has business-grade internet. - Hotel room for work
Hotels affiliated with KMC located in some of the top beach areas of the Philippines have standard workspaces and Wi-Fi.
Reimagining the workplace and what the new standard will look like 2022 & beyond
Business strategies will evolve. Companies will try out more adaptable production techniques based on the requirements of our clients. People will be at the center of all we do, but technology will increase their productivity. We'll also get back in touch with one another and the organization's goals.
Employers are confronted with reimagining culture in the hybrid era because shared office space is no longer the physical glue that binds the employee experience. Employers must simultaneously differentiate themselves from the competition and develop distinctive experiences to set themselves apart while also providing fair treatment for all employees—regardless of location.
Because of this, employers will increasingly focus more on issues such as their employees' physical and mental health, transformative leadership, technological enablement, employee engagement, and critical social and environmental challenges.
Transformative leadership will be essential when workers exert more influence over their work and reimagine workflows and design procedures that align with how their team thinks and functions. Keeping employees together in the same physical space will not be the best strategy for team development in the coming years.
Transformative leadership will be essential when workers exert more influence over their work and reimagine workflows and design procedures that align with how their team thinks and functions. Keeping teams together in the same physical space will not be the best strategy for team development in the coming years.
