'Is the office of the future simply a gathering place?

At the time of writing, we are still in the midst of the pandemic. We have an intense year behind us filled with uncertainties, altering work environments and looking toward the future. It’s primarily the latter that holds our attention. We pick up on signals from the market, studies have been conducted about returning to the office and an old friend is resurfacing: The Hybrid Office.

Most companies will not let their employees return to the office completely. Remote working was a success, but will we work exclusively from home and witness the disappearance of the traditional office?

We won’t make the adjustment to an altered office environment as quickly as we made the shift to working from home. We had to shift to remote working overnight. We had no choice. We now have time to think about how we are going to organise our return to the office.

Office as a gathering place

Research by PwC shows that if all employees work at home one day longer, this can lead to an increase in costs in the long term. This rise is mainly due to the effects of less collaboration and less commitment to the organisation.

This PwC study shows that the most effective collaboration takes place in (physical) places that promote the exchange of ideas. Another major shortcoming is the lack of contact at the coffee machine. These spontaneous encounters often lead to new ideas. We are therefore convinced that hybrid working will become the new way of working. Where you do your concentrated work at home, you look for more collaboration at the office. The office will be a meeting place for creative brainstorming sessions, inspiring kick-offs, a place to meet clients and to maintain a sense of togetherness.

“ In short, the office to meet, home to deliver. ”

Who, what, where & how?

Companies will have to think about how they will organise the office as a meeting place combined with shared desking. What does the ideal office of the future look like? Organisations will have to ask themselves questions such as:

When do you work at home and what tasks do you go to the office for?
Who is suited to remote working and who is better off in the office?
How do you determine the different positions in the building? Which positions are needed?
Are there enough tools to work at home and in the office?
What rules are needed when we come together?
How do you coach your employees remotely or `live`?
How do we ensure good mutual cooperation?
What do your employees find important?

What will your office of the future look like?

Office as a gathering place or at home for concentrated work. Either way, every workplace has to meet a number of basic requirements. For example, every workplace must be equipped with a number of fixed components. Each employee uses an individual mouse and keyboard and takes them with him or her everywhere. This is the only way to guarantee flexibility, hygiene and ergonomics. Additionally, just like at the office, a good desk, chair and (additional) monitor are necessary for remote working. The design at home may be different from that at the office (because of the space available), but for every situation, for every use, there is a practical solution.

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