Pre March 2020 the standard workday for many businesses was 9 to 5, then it all changed!
Almost 12 months has passed since remote/home working became business as usual but in the not too distant future we’re going to see another change in how we work.
9 to 5 in the office has disappeared and probably won’t return for quite some considerable time, if ever! Additionally, it’s going to be a long time until everyone works in the office all at the same time.
Many businesses have recognised the benefits of home working and are trusting their employees to apply themselves. In fact many employees are tending to work more efficiently in the comfort of their own home. Staff wellbeing has also improved, as they enjoy greater flexibility with how and when they do things in their personal lives.
In the coming months offices will open up again but businesses will need to blend home working with office working, combined with the option of changes to working hours.
Cramming people in to an office like before isn’t the answer. It’s clear that no one is keen to return to the past, exactly as it was. Businesses that don’t recognise this step change are likely to lose their best employees. However companies who embrace this new work life balance and take advantage of the benefits of blended working will not only retain their current staff, they’ll also attract skilled and experienced candidates out in the marketplace.
A blended work environment allows employees to work from home when they need to (with complete trust), whilst also offering the option to come to the office to collaborate with their colleagues. This face to face physical collaboration is best for strategic work, creativity and debates. Which is why your physical office will need space to enable this; meeting rooms, sofas, booths, areas for group conversation. Now is the time to review your office structure and make changes if necessary.
Business owners will also need to consider blended working from a technology perspective too. It’s important that employees have a seamless experience between home and office and that means that the right technology needs to be in place, and for a lot of businesses the right technology simply isn’t in place. Get it wrong and productivity and communication suffer.
If employees have taken their PCs, screens, laptops and chairs home – what will happen when they come to work in the office? Will you need to create hot desks? Will you need to buy extra equipment? Plan this right now and when you open your office doors again, your employees will have both an enjoyable and productive experience back in the office.
This will be vital to maintain and build the culture and connectivity between your team members.
Ultimately, allowing employees to have the freedom of flexible working shows that they’re valued and will mean your business is in the best place to attract and retain the best people.
Embrace this new way of working and get your business ready with the right technology.
If you’d like to speak to someone today about setting your technology up for blended working, call us now on 01392 796 779 or email us.
Group MD David Thomas – Bluegrass Group
