The Post-Pandemic Work Space: what is a Hybrid Office Plan
As a business leader, you’re looking for the best way to support your team as you welcome them back to the post-pandemic office. You’ve seen multiple ads on the best technology to purchase, but you want to develop a sustainable plan that will enable team members to be productive yet supported in the work that they do. After all, the one-size-fits-all “hybrid plan” is not going to work for every enterprise.
Incorporating collaborative work spaces, determining how much square feet will be needed, and choosing office spaces that will promote face-to-face interaction while practicing social distancing are some of the many factors to consider. Enterprises will need to establish precedents of how many days a week office workers should be in the office and decide whether the hybrid approach is the best long-term solution.
The technology that your enterprise invests in will be vital to the successful communication between departments and affect company growth for several years ahead. Here’s what you should be thinking about when developing your post-pandemic office:
Choosing the best Hybrid working model
It’s nearly impossible for today’s work environment to be exactly how it was pre-pandemic, and getting clear on terminology is the first step to choosing the right technology for your business. Whether working from a satellite office or your company’s headquarters, there are five hybrid models that leaders are contemplating and adopting right now.
- Office-centric hybrid – Office-centric hybrid companies require their employees to come into the office most of the time, but they build in one or two days each week when employees are allowed to work from another location.
- Fully flexible hybrid – A fully flexible hybrid model enables employees to choose when they would like to work from an office and when they’d like to work from another location.
- Remote-friendly hybrid – In contrast to fully flexible hybrid work, remote-ish hybrid work involves placing guardrails on which employees can work remotely. It may involve allowing employees to schedule work-from-home days, but not on specific days like Mondays and Fridays.
- Hybrid Remote-Office – Some companies–like HubSpot, transitioning from a remote-ish model–have decided to adopt a hybrid remote-office model. This model involves giving employees a “menu” of options to choose from, which typically includes a remote option, a flexible work option (employees work from an office two to three days per week), and an in-office option.
- Remote or virtual-first model – A remote-first model usually involves most employees working remotely by default–either from their homes or anywhere, steering away from working in an office building unnecessarily.
Your business communication system
With new spaces comes new technology. You may be thinking that it’s time to chuck away your old phone system and completely rely on the cloud. While that may be a good option, don’t underestimate the power of your existing technology and its ability to also live on the cloud. Your team can use the same mobile number for their desk phone and mobile app and seamlessly transition between different locations.
More importantly, you don’t need to upgrade your entire communication solution to integrate with Microsoft Teams and Zoom. With Smart Choice, you can supercharge your existing PBX phone system with Microsoft Teams, reducing costs and minimizing the risk of wasted resources. Conference room phones are not a thing of the past and will be essential as teams return to the office.
A modern and reliable security system
Should your leadership team decide to return to the office, security alarms, environmental sensors, and card access control will play a large role in ensuring your team members’ safety is a priority.
A security system can protect your office equipment and the private information of your business. Powered by Verkada, Smart Security is a modern security system built for today’s enterprises that enables technology leaders the ability to secure, manage, and protect their company’s office premises. Smart Security Cameras have built-in storage and eliminate the need for NVRs and DVRs, storing up to 365 days of footage.
Additionally, Smart Access Control allows individuals to enter buildings through a key fob and digital app securely. At the same time, Smart Environmental Sensors monitor temperature, TVOC, air quality index, noise, vape detection, humidity, motion, and more.
Here’s what comes with a Smart Security system:
- Security Cameras
- Access Control
- Sensors
- Burglar alarms
Every enterprise is different, but the ones that get ahead are the ones that put their teams at the forefront of their company vision. By providing your team with the right tools to communicate, feel supported, and work efficiently, office work and dynamics can go according to plan. After all, the future of work is what we make it to be and can’t be done without reliable technology.
SmartChoice is a technology company based out of New York City with a unique portfolio of solutions including UCAAS, collaboration, software and analytics, dedicated contact centers, security, infrastructure, and managed connectivity. Through its unsurpassed white-glove service and 24x7x365 U.S. based support, it has grown to become one of the largest award-winning PBX/SIP providers in North America.
