For two years, most of the world has had to change its working arrangements, but is it something that might stick even long after the pandemic is gone? In this article, we’re going to provide office options for a hybrid working world.
Whilst the world has significantly changed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, work from home has become a reality for most. Many businesses are choosing to stick to it even though returning to the office is possible.
Hybrid working provides the best of both worlds, bringing a new dawn to the working world. Now, hot desking, smaller offices, and less traffic and carbon footprint, are just some of the changes we’re making. For many companies, transferring a commercial lease to a smaller office that is more fit for purpose might be on the cards.
There are many hybrid alternatives available out there, and we’re going to discuss them below, discussing the benefits they provide both employees and businesses. Keep on reading to learn more…
What is Hybrid Working?
There are many variations when it comes to the term ‘hybrid working’, but to put it simply, hybrid working allows employees to work from a variety of different locations; it could be one day they work in the office and the rest of the working week they work from home.
What Are the Benefits of Hybrid Working?
There are countless benefits when it comes to hybrid working, not only for the employees but also for the business too. Some of the key advantages of working hybrid include:
Increase Productivity
Distractions can be found everywhere. Some people may find that they work better in a home environment away from a busy office full of distractions and vice versa. This allows employees to find the location that works best for them and helps them be more productive.
Statistics recently carried out in December 2021 found that many employees prefer working from home over going into the office. 83% said that they do not need to be in an office environment to remain productive.
Wider Talent Pool
Being able to work from anywhere means you can expand your business to employees even if they aren’t in close proximity.
It could be possible that the perfect fit for your company is located three hours away from your office. Prior to COVID, there would have been a slim chance of them even applying for a role so far away, but it’s now a possible option. This is both a benefit to employers and employees, having the chance to find better-suited roles and employees.
What Hybrid Working Options Are There?
Transfer Your Commercial Lease to a Smaller Office Space
Most businesses prior to the global pandemic, whether small or large, had or might still have their own office space. Usually, these are large enough to accommodate current employees and provide extra space for equipment, stock, and/or future employees.
Unfortunately, due to the pandemic causing concern over the spread of the disease, it was advised by the government for businesses to ask their employees to work from home. Despite the national distribution of vaccinations and the go-ahead for employees to return to their offices, many companies are changing their working patterns and becoming more flexible over working locations.
Some businesses are choosing not to return to the office full time, but often want to keep a physical HQ. If this is the case for your business, it could be worth considering transferring a commercial lease to a smaller and more suitable workplace. With extra space costing more in rent and bills, it could be feasible for businesses to invest in smaller work areas and continue with a hybrid working arrangement.
Multi-Location Access Offices
You might be surprised to learn that it’s possible to find an office provider that has offices dotted up and down the country and allows access to any of them. Many employees will tell you the best thing about working from home is the lack of commuting, the extra hour in bed in the morning, and being able to finish work and hop straight in the shower, and now this is still possible to do.
London, in particular, has adapted to workspaces with multi-location access, including:
- Uncommon – specifically for London, with offices on Liverpool Street, Highbury, Fulham and Borough.
- Life – they have locations available in London, Reading and Manchester.
- WeWork – who have 51 available multi-location access locations in London alone, as well as worldwide.
- The Office Group (TOG) – as well as London, TOG is available in cities nationally (Bristol and Leeds) and even in Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hamburg).
For more multi-location access offices, hubblehq.com have an extensive list.
Have a Full-Time Office
If you’ve found not many of your employees are keen to stick to WFH or hybrid working, you could remain in your current office. Or, if you have employed more staff since vacating your office due to COVID-19, it might be time to transfer your commercial lease for a larger property.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to force all your employees to return to the office full time. It is possible to give them the opportunity to choose their preference.
Offer Your Employees Hot Desk Memberships
If work from home isn’t on every one of your employees’ wish lists, but the vast majority do prefer to work from home, a physical office may not be necessary. However, you should still consider accommodating your employee’s needs, and this can be done through purchasing hot desk memberships for those few who would prefer working from an office environment.
Hybrid Working Can Benefit Businesses
What we can conclude from this article is that there are so many options in concern to hybrid working. Work doesn’t have to be a place your employees go. After working so well for the last two years, is it necessary to force employees to return full time to offices, particularly where businesses can thrive without a physical location?
What’s your opinion on hybrid working? Has it benefitted your business, and would you ever ask your employees back to full-time office work? Let us know down below.
