hybrid workplace

Do you need to implement a hybrid work model to keep up with the changing government policies on office work? With the rise of new variants and ongoing remote work preferences, your office needs to be prepared to facilitate working from home.

By implementing a hybrid work model in your workplace, you will be fully prepared to switch seamlessly to remote working in the event of a lock-down.

To prepare your space to become a hybrid workplace, you will need to use modern technologies. Read on to get the best tools for your hybrid work model.

What are Hybrid Work Models?

Hybrid working is categorized by a mixture of working from home and working in the office. 63% of high-growth companies employ a hybrid work model, mainly because it improves employees’ work-life balance. There are several methods of hybrid working one can apply:

  • The remote-first model. This hybrid work model involves most employees working remotely in a virtual work environment, with very few employees working in the office.
  • The occasional-office model. This working model allows employees to work in the office without requiring an entirely virtual work environment.
  • The office-preferred model. The office is the primary workspace, and employees must adhere to specific policies when working from home.

What are the Needs of a Hybrid Workplace?

Understanding what kind of support a hybrid workplace needs is essential to provide tools and technology to meet these needs.

Firstly, you will need to provide communication tools that allow employees to interact and collaborate no matter where they work. You will also need tools for allowing for safe access, security (as the space may be vacant more often), and space management. You will also need to protect your workspace by applying health and wellness security features.

Top Tech Tools for a Hybrid Workplace

This section will cover all the tools available to answer the needs of the hybrid work model.

Access Control

Access control can help you manage who is allowed to enter your office spaces and protect your workspace from unauthorized intruders.

An access control model can be operated remotely and you can also view access logs remotely, which will be convenient for days when you aren’t in the office.

Visitor Management

The pandemic has proven that there is a need to keep a record of who has entered your building, along with their contact details. This way, if there is an outbreak of coronavirus in your office space, you will have a way to reach out to visitors or employees and let them know that there has been a case of coronavirus in your office.

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Occupancy Management

Occupancy management is an essential tool for the hybrid work model that allows you to evaluate the utilization of your office space and identify any need for downsizing. With occupancy management, you will view how many people have used each space in your office. This way, if rooms are being underused, you can downsize your office space and save money.

Smart Desk Management

Smart desk management is a crucial addition to your hybrid workplace technology. It allows employees to reserve desks when they plan to be in the office. The smart desk management system provides a digital office floor plan that shows which desks are booked, who has booked them, and what times they are booked for. By showing who has booked the desk, the tool allows teams in your workforce to be allocated together, allowing for better collaboration between teams.

Antimicrobial Surfaces through Touch-less Technology

To provide extra protection for your employees, you should reduce the number of surfaces within the building they must touch to go about their day.

A touch-less access control system will contribute to this. For surfaces that your employees must touch each day, try providing antimicrobial surfaces. There are many different types of commercial wireless door lock systems available on the market that will help prevent the spread of the virus while improving asset protection and security.

Wellness Verification

An access control system can also facilitate wellness verification by providing surveys that you should fill out before an employee or guest can access the building. This function allows you to prevent people displaying coronavirus symptoms from entering the building.

You can also provide wellness verification surveys regarding emotional wellness. It is essential to promote a culture of emotional health in the workplace and identify the need for wellness retreats and seminars.

Communication Software

To keep the lines of communication open while some employees are working from home and others are working in the office, you will need to provide cloud-based communication software and office programs. This way, you will not reduce productivity by lengthy response times.

Summary

Your move to a hybrid work model will allow you to increase employee satisfaction and keep up with the changing work landscape. The technology mentioned above will help your business facilitate the hybrid work model safely and efficiently.