Hybrid work is undeniably fantastic, but let's face it, even the best things have their downsides. In this blog post, we are shedding light on a couple of aspects of hybrid work that could use a little improvement. Do not worry though, the good news is that these issues have simple solutions. So, join us as we explore two areas of hybrid work that may not be working as smoothly as they could, and discover how easy it is to make positive changes. Let's dive in!
1. Not knowing if your colleagues are in the office
Indulging in blissful solitude and serene silence is nice on a Monday morning if you are working from home, trying to reset your mind after a weekend filled with the joyful chaos of raising three kids, attending 217 playdates, and enduring a constant noise level of 100 dB.
However, sitting alone in utter silence on a Monday morning may not be as pleasant if you have endured the morning traffic to join your colleagues at the office.
…but that is the risk of hybrid working.
The flexibility of hybrid work can lead to deserted offices on certain days, while on others, they come alive with activity. Despite an increase in occupancy, the majority of hybrid workers still only visit the office once a week, often preferring midweek attendance.
However, when employees come in on days when their colleagues are working remotely, they may experience feelings of loneliness and isolation. Additionally, with the majority of office workers favoring midweek visits, there is a risk of overcrowding, potentially resulting in some employees struggling to find available workspaces, which can lead to an inferior office experience.
If you do not want to risk being all by yourself for eight hours at the office, you can just drop your colleague a message on Slack to see who is coming in on Thursday. However, that will not help you track down your colleagues once you are there, and it will not help you snag workspaces next to each other either.
The best way to solve the problem is by providing your employees with a smart workspace solution that allows them to easily check who is in the office, see the location of their colleagues, and identify available desks, all displayed on a map of your office spaces.
The solution should also enable employees to book desks and other shared resources directly through the map, and by making it a requirement to show their desk booking when entering the building, you can ensure that the office does not become overcrowded during the midweek.
2. Dialing into a meeting where everyone else is on-site
Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone else but you were on-site? Of course, you have. But did you feel the imbalance of being fully part of the conversation?
I know that this can be a divisive issue and a matter of personality, but sitting in a meeting where everyone else is on-site always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable and left out.
It is not the weekly team meetings where everyone gives an update on their tasks. It is the meetings where people discuss a challenge or solution. In those meetings, while everyone on-site looks at each other, you feel like a fly on the wall, observing the conversation. And every once in a while, when you break into the discussion, everyone else looks a bit startled because they kind of forgot you were there.
Being on-site is not always an option, but considering that most office workers prefer to only go to the office once per week, it is safe to say that many of us often work from home because it is more convenient.
So, how can we make going to the office more convenient and reduce awkward meetings?
The primary reason employees give for not wanting to return to full-time office work is that they do not like the commute. In 2019, the average one-way commute to work took approximately 27.6 minutes, resulting in a total of 55.2 minutes spent commuting each day.
When considering the 260 working days in a year (in 2023), employees who go to the office every day would spend approximately 239.2 hours commuting annually. To put this into perspective, it is equivalent to nearly 30 eight-hour workdays or 10 days of vacation.
In addition to the commute, people typically spend an average of six minutes driving around the car park, searching for an available parking space. While this may not seem like much, it adds 26 hours to the annual commute time for employees who go to the office five days a week. In some US states like California, commuters spend over 80 hours per year looking for an available parking space.
While you may not be able to reduce the time your employees spend commuting, you can eliminate the hassle of searching for available parking spaces. By equipping your employees with a parking management solution that includes an integrated map of your car park, you provide them with a clear overview of available and booked parking spaces. This makes it easy for them to reserve a space near their entrance before leaving home, significantly reducing time waste and frustration.
If hybrid work is not working for you, reach out to learn how indoor mapping can help create a successful hybrid office by providing everyone with a clear overview of your spaces inside and outside and giving everyone easy access to the data they need for a superior office experience.
June 29, 2023
