The Record - Issue 21: Summer 2021

78 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om T he Covid-19 pandemic has caused a mas- sive shift in the way employees work, which is similarly changing the way IT managers and business leaders look at their existing and future workplace strategies. Office spaces will undoubtedly continue to be an important component of the workplace structure in the years ahead. But as we wait to see how each organisation and industry rebounds from the pandemic, there seems to be no definitive consensus on how to treat office spaces for the long term. Instead, bracing for what the future of work in a hybrid environ- ment looks like and the best ways to enable col- laboration and meeting productivity in those settings will be the best path to moving forward in today’s fluid world of work. The hybrid workplace starts by flipping the script on where and how work currently gets done. Ultimately, there needs to be mutual trust between leaders and employees and an understanding of the advantages that can be gained by having people both in the office and working remotely. While most organisations will devise their own unique hybrid infrastructures that allow teams to work in the office, at home, and on the go, there are a number of trends that we will soon see emerge as a result of more employees head- ing back into the office. Changing remote work policies Approaches to hybrid work will vary across companies and industries, with no two organi- sations operating exactly alike. Where one large technology company may mandate specific days a week in the office for employees, another may let individual management teams establish their own guiding principles. Regardless, leadership will need to provide oversight and transparency around setting expectations so that employees can concentrate on working versus wondering. With good leadership in place and new policies being clearly articulated, adoption will be more readily solidified. Evolution of office spaces With nearly every organisation expected to allow some level of remote work flexibility post-pandemic, offices will need to become environments that people are attracted to and excited about, to draw people into the office. As such, employers will need to answer a series of questions: How will offices be redesigned and for what purpose? Will we bring employees back in for collaborative activities only or go back to assigned seating stations? How can technology optimise each of those spaces, and what new ideas and office innovations coming out of the pandemic are worth investing in? Driving your hybrid workplace strategy As businesses start to rethink their balance of office-based and remote working environments, technology will be a key factor in ensuring everyone can effectively collaborate, regardless of their location PAU L S CHOL E Y : B LU E J E ANS BY V E R I ZON V I EWPO I NT “Technology is going to play a major role in the transformation of office spaces and the hybrid workplace”