Setting up Your Workplace for Remote and Hybrid Employees

Just like your employees’ first day at a new job, their first day back at work after a break of two years can be equally challenging. With increased remote and hybrid working, it can feel very isolating when people return to the office. So, how do you make remote workers feel like they’re a part of the team no matter where they work from?

This article discusses four essential tips to set up your workplace for remote and hybrid employees and help bring teams together.

#1 Flex-Desking 

Flex-desking is a new trend that is quickly becoming the standard for office environments. Not to be confused with an adjustable office desk, flex desking or hot desking is a method where employees choose their office desks before coming to work. These desks are not assigned to anyone in the office. They are free to be used by anyone during booking. This lets hybrid workers reserve desks when they come into the office and allows those same desks to be open for other employees when they don’t.

Switching office desks every time you come to the office also keeps the experience fresh and engaging since there is no monotony of working in the same space for months. It also allows employees to work close to different people in the office.

#2 Create Space for Meetings

When you are running a hybrid business, you want your co-located employees to be able to meet with their remote counterparts. And to do that, you may have to make some changes to your office layout. Setting up designated huddle spaces or office meeting pods can help. These are private rooms that are soundproof and provide a space for one-on-one meetings.

You can also consider adding meeting tables with privacy screens. These allow your employees to have a place where they can meet with visitors or clients without going into an official conference room, which is especially helpful when you have a lot of different meetings going on at once and your conference rooms are occupied. 

#3 Invest in Video Conferencing Tools

The most efficient way for in-person office workers to connect with their remote colleagues is by having virtual meetings with them. Therefore, it is essential for businesses to support high-quality video conferencing for both remote and office workers. Not only do video conferences allow for more personal and interactive meetings, but they also make it easy to collaborate visually, whether that means sharing notes, worksheets, videos, or other resources.

Video conferencing tools are becoming more common as remote work becomes more prevalent—and as a result, it’s becoming more affordable, too. So, if you don’t have effective video conferencing tools, now is the perfect time to invest.

#4 Infrastructure

In 2020, the whole world of work was thrown for a loop when the pandemic hit, and workplaces everywhere had to think 0f ways to get their businesses functioning remotely. From short-term contracts to renting and leasing, most companies saw this new way of working as something temporary. However, two years later, it is time to make some long-term changes across your organisation. These changes can be anything from investing in enterprise solutions like enrolling your company in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, migrating your servers to the cloud and investing in tech items if you haven’t already.

Having the proper infrastructure in place will give you a competitive advantage in the market and be attractive to new talent. 

Planning an office redesign to accommodate your hybrid workforce?

With many businesses now embracing hybrid work models, our interior specialists can advise on how to get the most from your office space and will manage the process from concept to installation.

Check out Codex Interiors and Fitouts.