In recent years, the way we work has undergone a significant shift. Gone are the days of the traditional 9-to-5 workday spent in a single office, as more and more companies embrace the flexibility of hybrid working.
Hybrid working, also known as flexible working, is a model that combines traditional office work with remote work. It allows employees to choose when and where they work, and offers a variety of options for different tasks and activities. This could include working from home, working from a coworking space, or even working from a park or coffee shop.
One of the key benefits of hybrid working is the increased flexibility it offers employees. This can lead to improved work-life balance, as employees are able to choose when and where they work, and can take breaks in a variety of settings. It can also improve job satisfaction and morale, as employees have the opportunity to work in a way that best suits their needs and preferences.
In addition to these benefits for employees, hybrid working can also provide significant efficiency and cost savings for companies. By allowing employees to work from anywhere, companies can reduce the need for expensive office space and associated overhead costs. This can lead to cost savings in both the short term and long term.
However, while hybrid working offers many benefits, it also presents challenges for companies and employees alike.
- One of the key challenges is the need for effective communication and collaboration, especially when working with team members who are in different locations. This requires the use of digital tools and technologies, such as videoconferencing and project management software, to ensure that everyone stays connected and on track.
- Another challenge is the need to accurately measure and track the effectiveness of hybrid working. While there are many quantitative metrics that can be used to measure the usage of office space, these metrics do not always provide a complete picture of the human experience. To truly understand how hybrid working is impacting employees and the organization as a whole, it is necessary to use qualitative (ethnographic) inquiry to gather information about the employee experience.
At OpenWork, our Research & Analytics service, leverages a combination of quantitative and qualitative data to help organizations make effective decisions about their workplace strategy. Through our discovery workshop and information-gathering onboarding process, we help companies understand the specific dynamics of their organization and develop accurate inputs for our calculator.
This allows us to model the financial impact of addressless office and activity-based working (ABW) and provide guidance on key decision-making factors such as scheduling, desk-to-worker ratios, floor plate size, and office design.
As the world of work undergoes a hybrid revolution, leaders need more and better information to make effective decisions about their workplace strategy. With our Research & Analytics service, we use a combination of quantitative and qualitative data to help companies understand the impact of hybrid working and make informed decisions about their workplace strategy. By embracing the flexibility of hybrid working, companies can provide employees with what they want, while also realizing significant efficiency and cost savings in the long term.
