The majority of companies plan to allow their workforce to work remotely post-pandemic, according to research from Gartner. The findings show 80% of businesses will let people work remotely at least some of the time. Further, almost half of those surveyed say they plan to let employees work remotely full time.
Remote and hybrid work has become integral to people’s everyday lives. The benefits are numerous — but there is something missing.
In-person collaboration continues to lure some back to the office, those who crave a sense of community (and perhaps separation from work and home). For this reason and others, flexible office arrangements are expected to grow in the years ahead.
Companies like WeWork or Industrious may see an uptick in business as the pandemic draws to an end because more are looking for flexible leasing options and on-demand office space.
Real estate company JLL projects flexible workspaces like these will make up 30% of the commercial real estate market by 2030. Some say they’ll grow even faster.
In many ways, it makes perfect sense. These types of options carry a great deal of allure for businesses and individuals alike, including:
Cozy and modern workspace
Flexible payment options
Numerous locations
In-office amenities
Community
Working from home, while an excellent option, doesn’t work for everybody. Some find it hard to concentrate. Others simply miss their friends and co-workers. With flexible arrangements like WeWork, Industrious or another, they can find a new community, routine, and the ability to collaborate in a hybrid way.
For it to be successful, however, the workspaces must equip workers with the tools they will need to connect with other workers in person or remotely. If these spaces don’t have these features, workers will sooner set up shop in a coffee shop or their local library.
Technology, just as it does for remote work, will play an even more important role in these spaces as the requirements to connect and collaborate will mandate the latest be available at all times. The costs to individuals or businesses would be too great otherwise.
For facilities managers, technical leaders or even individuals who are searching for flexible leasing options or coworking spaces either for the business or themselves, consider what technology is featured in the space to assure it’ll meet your needs. Reliable WiFi is just the start.
Video Conferencing and Hybrid Collaboration Are Must-Haves Post-Pandemic
The extroverted workers who missed days in the office could soon rejoice with a new community if their office doesn’t reopen. A coworking space could be just the thing to keep their spirits high or the creative juices flowing.
Entering a coworking space, everything must help facilitate communication, collaboration, and connection — from the floor plans to the small details that help make these trendy offices more homelike.
What will help make these spaces more conducive to hybrid collaboration are the amenities workers will use to reach others, whether it’s a one-on-one conversation or a board meeting.
Telephone Booths
A far cry from the outside, collapsing door phone booths in the time before cell phones, telephone booths in corporate spaces are quaint, one-person meeting rooms that help keep conversations more personal and private.
In some offices, these small nooks are havens for traveling workers or ad hoc business calls. It’s often they’re non-reservable, remaining agile and open on a first-come, first-serve basis. They’re usually low tech in nature, keeping the focus on a more transient work interaction, but they still have requirements to work effectively.
Sound masking, in particular, is a must for these types of spaces. For individuals in a small room, perhaps with a sliding glass door or hard surfaces, it will make for a far more enjoyable experience to soften reflective surfaces and reduce sound traveling in or out. Sound masking will help keep conversations private and improve the auditory experience for workers.
Huddle or Small Conference Rooms
Spur-of-the-moment meetings and impromptu jam sessions call for a space that’s as agile as the workers who inhabit it. That’s where huddle spaces or small conference rooms come into play.
Smaller in footprint, these conference rooms should come equipped with everything a person or small group would need to carry out meetings via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex, including:
Microphones and speakers
Webcam or PTZ camera (pan-tilt-zoom)
Wired or wireless connections
Huddle spaces have become a popular option for businesses big and small that want spaces for smaller group meetings and more informal collaboration. What’s more, during the pandemic, these spaces turned into a spacious setting for one person to enjoy a meeting.
What breaks a space like this, however, is an overly complicated approach to sharing content, joining meetings, or adjusting settings. The beauty of spaces like these is the simplicity in design and engineering. These spaces must accommodate people of all skill levels and perform flawlessly over and over.
Medium to Large Conference Rooms
Coworking spaces are a popular choice for solopreneurs and freelancers, but they also accommodate startups and large businesses too. In a post-pandemic world, it’s likely the appeal will increase for businesses that need to scale up and down real estate as their workforce changes.
Some options for businesses include renting out entire floors or buildings or even just a larger portion of space, which may include a boardroom or a larger conference room.
If that’s the case, facilities managers and technical leaders at companies must understand what technology is included in rooms like these and the intended use cases. Boardrooms and larger conference rooms tend to host workshops, more intensive meetings with larger groups. However, they must also function well enough for a small group to use.
Similar to a huddle space, large conference rooms must meet the expectations of a technically diverse workforce, ranging from those who are unfamiliar with technology to unified collaboration savants. However, as the footprint grows, so must other functions.
An ideal technology setup in a large conference room:
Multiple displays or a large enough display for all to see
A microphone system that picks up all participants (Remote and in person)
Multiple ways for participants to share content easily
Naturally, the seating capacity for these spaces will likely see reduced numbers until the pandemic subsides. But with that in mind, for a person seated in the back of the room, will he or she be able to see what’s displayed at the front? For remote participants, will the webcam or PTZ camera pick people up wherever they sit in the room?
Create a list of questions like these for each room or area to ensure the technology will meet your organization’s standards.
Back to the Office or #WFH? Both — and Anywhere in Between
Whether you’re a full-time remote worker or scouting out locations for your company, coworking space offers several benefits: a network of offices, cleaning staff, gyms or wellness areas, free coffee, and community.
As time goes on, these spaces will grow increasingly popular both in the US and around the world. But now as the boom in remote and hybrid work continues, it’s easy enough to imagine these types of spaces becoming commonplace and even sought after.
“People will always need, and will be looking for, a place to connect, find community, and to find a purpose. That’s what brought people to co-working spaces in the first place,” said Amy Nelson, founder and CEO of co-working company The Riveter, in an interview with CNBC.
CommLink Integration specializes in unified collaboration technology design and installation. Whether it’s a huddle room or an executive boardroom, CommLinks works with organizations to align technology with their needs and goals. See how we approach systems integration here.