Feature A hybrid working model
The eventual return to work is likely to put greater stress on the office environment, with flexible shifts and hours becoming more common. Aiming to reduce the number of employees travelling at peak times and occupying the office at one time, it’s likely that most employers will be adopting this hybrid approach. Even before the pandemic, a number of high-profile businesses, including Facebook and Google, had already employed large scale flexible work schemes. The environmental benefits, with lower levels of pollution and energy use, and reduced employee burnout from fewer commutes, many are touting an end of the traditional office altogether.
However, there is research that suggests that remote working is not for everyone – according to a survey from the Society for Human Resources, 71% of us are struggling to adjust to remote work³, 65% say maintaining employee morale has been a challenge, and more than a third are facing difficulties with company culture. Clearly there are positives and negatives on either side of the argument, with individual circumstances determining the best course of action. Fundamentally, an effective level of personal, instant and ongoing management requires a smart, connected building management system.
Modern digital office management systems provide HR departments with the ability to understand the real-time and long term uses of spaces with the office to improve comfort, enhance productivity, and reduce facility service costs. Creating safe zones, improving flow, flagging vacating desks and updating on numbers, is all automatically and instantly fed to office admin teams to ensure safety, comfort and efficiency. Without micro-managing or dictating rigid policies, these teams can effectively manage their workforce from afar, gaining unparalleled insight on activity.
Supporting employee development
Talent is the single biggest cost for most businesses, with attracting and retaining the best candidates proving challenging at the best of times.
Environment, well-being, flexibility and sustainability credentials all play a vital part in keeping employees engaged, positive and productive.
However, concerns around skill and career development have moved to the top of the agenda and will only continue to rise post-pandemic. As almost all HR departments and multiple studies� will attest, ensuring employees are engaged and motivated is extremely challenging from a distance, even more so with the current air of uncertainty.
Adapting to employees’ skills, expectations, and demands will be critical to building operating-model resilience. Organisations must work to find out how they can adapt to rapidly changing conditions and match those workers to new roles and activities. It is vital leaders have the ability to reskill, upskill and promote their employees to deliver growth.
Again, technology holds the key to achieving this. Creating applications in which employees can provide feedback on their role help to deepen their connection with the company and gain a greater understanding of their career paths. As we shift to a new way of working, career development will need to follow suit and become more instant, tangible and digital.
A data-driven future
Society and business have passed the point of no return. We are entering a new age, where data, automation and connected technology will play a fundamental role not just in manufacturing and IT, but in workforce management, engagement, safety and development.
Data combined with the latest technology hold the key. We must create a smarter workplace with joined-up systems allowing us to monitor and automate key processes, including staff seating and office access based on capacity and occupancy levels.
Modern office management technology can ensure that social distancing is maintained by ensuring employees are located appropriately in agreed zones (enabling lighting/heating, etc. to be switched off or reduced in areas that aren’t occupied). It can determine the best office flows to minimise unnecessary contact and ensure
these are being followed. Empty desks can be flagged and cleaned as soon as they are vacated, while fresh air is pumped during the hours required or when levels drop below a certain point in specific areas.
Equally, smart office technology enables effective communication with, as well as the management and understanding of, a workforce. We have to come to appreciate the role these abilities play in creating a healthy, comfortable
work environment and a more enjoyable and productive workplace - now is the time to build our workplaces back better with smart, connected technology at its foundation.
Follow this link to find out more about the EcoStruxure Engage Enterprise App:
https://www.se.com/uk/en/product-range-presentation/8297055
¹:
https://www.bupa.com/newsroom/our-views/supporting-a-safe-return-to-work ²:
https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/tuc-no-one-should-have-return-work-without-tough-new-measures-safety
³:
https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/press-room/press-releases/pages/survey-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-workplace.aspx �:
https://www.shrm.org/about-shrm/press-room/press-releases/pages/survey-how-covid-19-is-changing-the-workplace.aspx
fmuk 27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
