Office work has constantly evolved over the years, but perhaps no development has been as significant as the transition to a hybrid office. This modern work environment combines the best of traditional office structures and flexible working from home, offering a variety of benefits, but also challenges.
Key facts
- Working in an office has become less common in a hybrid set-up. It makes it possible to exchange ideas & improve team dynamics.
- Because the office offers a unique space to create spontaneous encounters & promote innovative strength.
- In order to actively get employees back to work in the office, you as a company must set incentives to return.
- A software solution can help motivate employees to come back to the office more often.
The office in transition
Working in the office was completely normal for millions of workers before the corona pandemic. It is true that there were already a few companies in which hybrid work was carried out, but these were usually the exception.
The pandemic was the catalyst that transformed the office from a collection of individual offices and strict hierarchies to a dynamic, flexible and collaborative space. Continuous digitization is helping to move more and more processes into virtual space and making it possible, regardless of location and Work on the go.
This change requires a reassessment of the office and how and where we work. Modern office space has become a hub for hybrid collaboration in which flexibility, collaboration and focus work are paramount. Working in an office thus has a completely different significance than before. It is becoming increasingly important, especially in a hybrid set-up.
Why is it so important to work in an office?
Although working from home has grown in popularity, the office offers unique benefits that are hard to copy. And that doesn't even have to be the case. If you work in a hybrid office, tasks for employees can be wonderfully adapted to the respective job.
However, the focus is more on collaboration. A major concern for many executives and companies is that they are losing control. And that doesn't mean physical control over your employees. It is more about supposedly less transparency.
- Transparency as to who is currently working on which projects.
- Transparency as to who is responsible for which project
- Transparency as to who is actually working today.
- And transparent decisions by executives & management.
Being present therefore has many advantages and makes working in the office so important. Especially about subconscious processes such as Proximity bias dismantle. Spontaneous encounters also promote social interaction within the team and ensure that innovative strength is maintained.
Working in an office: advantages and disadvantages at a glance
We've already listed some benefits from your company's perspective. Even though many employees appreciate flexibility, many employees come back back to the office - even without mandatory office quotas or a Hybrid Work Policy.
The benefits of working in an office can be as follows:
- Fostering collaboration: Physical proximity enables spontaneous discussions and effective teamwork, and these are often the biggest drivers of innovation. Working in the office gives employees the opportunity to exchange ideas via short official channels.
- Structure and routine: Fixed working hours and a special place of work can promote productivity and concentration. For some, it's their own four walls, for others it's working in the office. It enables employees to combine the best of both worlds.
- Social interaction: The office offers opportunities for social exchange, which can improve well-being and job satisfaction and strengthen the hybrid corporate culture in the long term.
- Separation of work and private life: A clearly defined workplace helps to set boundaries between professional and private life. This improves work-life balance.
- Efficient use of office space: From the perspective of your company, it makes sense to promote work in the office in order to use office space effectively. Because office space is one of the biggest costs for your company, especially in big cities.
Where there are advantages to working in an office, there are also disadvantages. Because working in the office can also have negative effects for your employees as well as for you as a company.
- Commuting time: For many, the time and stress of commuting is a significant disadvantage of everyday office life. In addition, there are usually additional costs for your own car or the use of public transport.
- Less flexibility: Fixed office hours can conflict with personal obligations and impair work-life balance.
- Distraction: Open office environments can be noisy and distracting, which can impair the concentration of some employees.
- Individual needs: Traditional offices may not take into account the different work styles and needs of each individual. For some employees, this can be seen as a reason not to work in an office.
Make working in the office more attractive
In principle, it is important to find the right balance when working in the office. Mandatory office quotas only serve their purpose to a limited extent and are not a driver of corporate culture.
To get employees back to work in the office, it makes sense to set special incentives. The first step is to ask your employees what they need for this. Surveys or direct conversations will provide you with the answer. Here you can find out which requirements for the Office of the future be asked.
Typical examples of how to make working in an office more attractive include:
Modern office concepts: In order to be able to work effectively in the office, employees primarily need space to be productive according to their requirements. Your office must therefore provide space that promotes both team collaboration and focus work. This can be an open space concept with focus zones. If your employees know that they can work in the office according to their own requirements, this is a natural catalyst for their return.
Culture and community: Simple but true! Working in the office becomes much more attractive when others are also in the office. Regular team days or Events promote this exchange, but also hybrid meetings are wonderful occasions to round up the team.
Ergonomic & stimulating design: Creating a pleasant working environment through ergonomic furniture and attractive design. Uniform furnishing of the hybrid workplace in the office also provides an incentive for many employees to work regularly in the office again, as it is more convenient.
Benefits: Certain benefit programs can also be concrete incentives. This could be a specific menu in the canteen or a free lunch. But discounts for public transport tickets can also be incentives.
Encourage collaborative work in the office with Seatti
In order to get your team back together and promote work in the office, the social aspect is particularly important. A simple and uncomplicated option is to implement a software solution such as Seatti in your company.
With features such as meetup you can easily and without much effort provide your employees with a platform on which they can see who is in the office at what time. Your colleagues can even indicate what they're currently working on. With Team bookings you canalso invite other team members for joint office days, plan entire team days or Team events invite.
In this way, you can easily set collaborative incentives as a team to return to work in the office regularly! And that with just a few clicks.
