Companies used to talk about business in terms of productivity, revenue, and ROI. Those performance indicators are still important, but industries have learned that employee experience plays a key role in customer satisfaction and business outcomes.
One way to elevate the work experience for employees is to accommodate the ways they want to work. This includes designing comfortable and user-friendly spaces. It also means supporting hybrid work for employees who want to work from home some of the time.
This article offers ways your office design can accommodate hybrid work so that it benefits both your company and your employees.
Design Your Workplace to Accommodate Hybrid Work
Start by helping managers view the workplace as more than just desks and conference tables for warm bodies. Elevate the workplace environment to act as the hub of activity, where employees can go to get inspired and energized.
They can have better interactions with team members in person and through video conferencing than they can with their laptops at home. Beyond just being a place to connect, collaborate, and produce, the multi-experience workplace can be inviting, inspiring, and dynamic.
Many workers say they’re anxious, stressed, or unhappy at work. Designing spaces that are homey and welcoming gives employees the environment they need to be creative, productive, and happy. That makes work more fulfilling and gives employees a reason to want to work in the office.
Some non-traditional workspaces to consider include coffee shop-style spaces for socializing and collaborating. Determine and outfit spaces where people can focus, ideate, and be animated. While it’s usually not practical to create separate spaces for every kind of work experience, technology can make your spaces more flexible and multi-purpose.
How do your workspaces make employees feel?
AV Technology Rules the Modern Workplace
Audiovisual technology proved to be invaluable when meetings and office work went virtual. As technology improves, the experiences it provides grow and improve too. The modern hybrid workplace can now offer a range of experiences when it’s equipped with the right technologies. Here are some steps you can take to make sure you’re choosing the right solutions for hybrid workers:
- Align technology to business goals and priorities.
- Choose “hidden technology” that will blend into your environment and not clutter spaces.
- Standardize audiovisual technology across spaces to make it easier to use and connect to devices.
- Choose tools that are so easy that users don’t have to think about it.
- Invest in solutions that serve all employees, regardless of their location.
- Provide the same capabilities to both in-office workers and remote ones.
Get the Tech that Enhances Hybrid Work
There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for hybrid organizations. However, the effort of customizing systems for your organization will be worth it. The right tools will elevate work experiences and support employee productivity and happiness no matter where they are.
Some tools that commonly support hybrid work and collaboration are: displays, microphones, loudspeakers, audio systems, messaging applications, interactive digital whiteboards, video conferencing and cloud meeting platforms, and even virtual and augmented reality tools.
Finally, it’s important that all your technologies work together for seamless interactions and the best possible hybrid experiences. An AV service provider can ensure you choose the right solutions and that they’re properly integrated.
To discover more tips for designing workspaces that accommodate hybrid employees, read our white paper: Designing Spaces for the Multi-Experience Workplace.