In the second of a three-part series looking at how hybrid working practices, spaces and cultures are changing the world of work forever, UC Today spoke to Poly experts to gain insights into how the work spaces will change and develop over the next few years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an enormous increase in home workers and many have had to get used to carving out a productive work area in their homes and dealing with dogs barking, children’s laughter and neighbours construction projects interrupting their corporate communications. The response phase is ending and people are looking at making what they initially thought of as temporary arrangements and compromises into permanent solutions – at least for part of the time.
It’s clear that many will not return to the traditional working week and will adopt a hybrid approach that involves home working for at least
some of the time. This will be particularly important as social distancing is required in work places and traditional office floorplans and schedules become more widely distributed. At the same time, home working during pandemic-related lockdowns has been a resounding success. In fact, many like it and plan to continue with it.
Nemertes Research has reported that 91% of organisations now support working from home, a figure that is up from 63% before the pandemic. “People are really thinking about what the hybrid workplace will look like,” said Darrius Jones, Enterprise Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Poly. “Satellite offices often look different but the need to collaborate at distance with intimacy is going to remain.”
Better, professionalised home office equipment and communications will shape the working spaces of the future but it’s likely that many will use offices at least some of the time and meeting rooms will still be needed. Often these will need to be larger to accommodate the need to keep safe distances between partners but Poly anticipates the emergence of a third space in which workers can create thinking time and moments of ideation.
