Although employers' demand for remote work is high, others recognize its difficulties. Hybrid work can solve this dilemma, and more.
The past year has given us the opportunity to carry out the biggest work experiment to date: moving all employees and all office space home. But as with every experiment, the same applies here: As much as we can see positive results, the mistakes can quickly start to break through the walls.
Many workers sensed the benefits of remote work: sitting at a desk in sweatpants, spending more time with the children, no commuting costs. But many have also recognized the disadvantages: lower motivation, less collaboration, lack of networking. Not to mention the fears of managers that they will no longer be able to supervise and manage their own employees in a balanced manner.
So while some companies are debating whether they should keep the remote work model or move the working world back to the office, we would like to present a third alternative: hybrid work (if you don't know what that means yet, click here). In just 5 steps, we believe that hybrid work can solve both problems — remote and in-office work.
Issue 1: Less collaboration through remote work
87% of employees stated that the office is important for working with the team and building relationships. It's no secret that face-to-face meetings foster creativity, motivation, and innovation that can only come from face-to-face, wild doodling on whiteboards, and sharing a fourth cup of coffee.
It is therefore not surprising that remote work severely affects the sense of collaboration that is lost when you only see your colleagues on a two-dimensional, illuminated screen.
Hybrid forms of work can solve this problem without forcing you to return to the office immediately. Collaboration and meetings can be made easier again by trying to find a way to let colleagues know when and from where you are working on specific days. A collaborative office management tool such as Seatti offers the opportunity to have an overview of when the team will be in the office or nearby (e.g. at their favorite coffee shop!). And you can do this without forcing all employees to come to the office immediately. Hybrid Work ensures that sufficient collaboration is promoted through the creative and cooperative part that the office represents.
Issue 2: Lower motivation due to home office
50% of workers stated that it can be difficult to manage their time and focus when they are working entirely from home. On the other side is more than a third of managers worried about distractions at home. Although remote work has enabled closer collaboration with the family, reduced commuting costs and improved mental health, the home also brings many distractions to the working space.
Hybrid work can compensate for this lack of energy and motivation by allowing employees to decide for themselves when to work from home and when to go to the office. Overall, this increases their well-being and therefore their motivation. 91% of workers reported a better work-life balance in the hybrid work model — a figure that is attributed to more flexible time management. Professionals who work remotely for an average of 3 days reported higher engagement rates.
Issue 3: Companies lose track
The old working model allowed time stamps, one-desk, one-employee configurations, and protected entries. But the old working model is old. And although remote work has advantages for employees in particular, there were more than a third of the C-Suite that it is difficult to manage their team in the remote work model.
A hybrid tool, such as Seatti, offers the perfect solution to the dilemma between micromanagement and loss of control. 95% of workers They want to have some level of control over how, where, and when they work. An office management tool gives management the opportunity to return this control.
However, it can also enable management to have an overview of who is where and when without the feeling that you are becoming a Big Brother or Sister. Because the fact is that 79% of managers plan to let their employees divide their time between office and remote. That's why we think the Hybrid Work solution fits like a glove.
Issue 4: High real estate costs
The transition to remote work has made one fact clear: We don't need huge office space. As one of the biggest cost factors for companies, office space is hard to find, often expensive and a price that continues to rise. Between 2018 and 2020 alone, Berlin office prices rose from 20€ to 35€ per square meter. At a time when office occupancy has dropped to almost 0, this is clearly wasted money.
After seeing how seamless remote work continues to work, want 87% of managers They will also change their real estate strategy over the next 12 months. Hybrid work models provide an easier overview of office occupancy. By limiting the number of people, management can reduce office size without reducing employees.
And even better: Integrated analytics in office tools, such as Seatti, can provide a predicted overview of which rooms are being used more than others (an invaluable forecast when deciding how to reduce office space). And don't fall far behind - 66% of decision makers in companies Are already considering redesigning their offices to optimize hybrid work environments.
Issue 5: Pandemic restrictions
While this problem may not persist in the long term, we know that pandemic restrictions will remain, at least for a while. Even though hybrid forms of work may not be the preferred working model, it has simply become the only option right now — based on government restrictions on how many people can work indoors.
But while some see this as an obstacle, we see it as an opportunity. Seatti, for example, integrates our customers' desk setups into our tool. Because these plans can be customized to suit every customer, it's possible to personalize every floor and room — including blocking desks or areas that can't be booked. Or a limited capacity can be integrated, which determines how many employees can come to the office on a specific day.
With this smart addition, companies can introduce regulatory restrictions without worrying about how to manage them — and it solves all of the other four problems mentioned above.
The future of work has already begun without us even realizing it. The pandemic has revolutionized the way we work and could be one of the few benefits we see in these difficult times. Hybrid forms of work can not only solve problems that companies had before the pandemic, but also new ones that arose from the desire for remote work. Hybrid is a noun that combines two different elements — and we think that remote and office work are two elements that combine perfectly.
