Rupert Dean, CEO of x+why, looks at how the workplace needs to support collaboration in the hybrid working era, and how companies should be using offices to best effect.

There will have been conversations up and down the country over recent months among leadership teams and founders about how the office fits into their new working landscape.

We have seen many businesses adapt successfully to the shift to remote working triggered by the pandemic. Beforehand, the physical workplace was a staple of society, with a default approach to the office as somewhere that provided desk space for people to do individual work. That has all changed. Many more employees are enjoying the flexibility they now have to work remotely, as more businesses acknowledge that work is something you do and not somewhere you go.

And yet, despite the dramatic impact this has had on the pattern of our working lives, there remains a vital role for the physical office, just a reconfigured one to suit the style of modern work. One that supports the in-person connection between co-workers that is so crucially important, allowing mentorship and the space to work creatively together.

Shifting mindsets about the workplace

Among hybrid or remote working teams, we are seeing increased recognition of the importance of building a company culture and the role that it plays in boosting employee performance. With Elon Musk’s recent comments about people ‘pretending to work’ whilst at home, it is clear just how complex the relationship can be between employees and their employers when it comes to remote work. Trust is hugely important within any workforce, and a big part of that will come from creating a cohesive environment that encourages team members to make an impact. This is where the modern workplace can step in.

In order for companies to make hybrid working a success for employees as well as the business in the long run, people need to be looking at what the workspace can offer through different eyes. Gone are the days that they should be looked upon as merely somewhere that exists to provide desk space. Employees may not be going into the office on a daily basis anymore, but when they do they will often be choosing to come into the office to achieve something specific, rather than because they are expected to, whether that be training, meeting, or simply for a chance to catch up with colleagues.

It therefore needs to be about the opportunity it provides to be more collaborative, getting face-to-face time, and creating shared experiences with teammates. Businesses need to be aiming for an office structure which provides more than just a destination for work, but instead a destination where you can strengthen culture and performance, and as a result, improve productivity; something that is definitely harder to achieve when completely remote.

New employee expectations

Many people will have experienced the kind of office that would fit into the category that I consider ‘past its sell-by date’. Those (often glass) open-plan boxes that are lifeless and soulless, with employees crammed in, encouraged to work hard, nowhere to escape, pushed to focus on productivity only at the expense of all else. This might be offset by the subsidised gym membership, pension scheme and bang average salary, but these days a workspace like this is not going to meet the new expectations of the employee.

Now more people have the choice on where they work on a day-to-day basis, it needs to be an appealing space that they are motivated to travel to. That might be about the aesthetics of the office, the good coffee that is available, or the exercise studio on-site – business leaders have to understand what it is that will appeal to their teams.

The social aspect of office life has always been important, but evidence shows that workers place more importance than ever on the opportunities that an office can provide for socialising. With many of us spending a part of the week working in silos from home, and able to prioritise where we spend our time, people are looking for a space where they can go to see colleagues and friends, have conversations and catch up, and in doing so improve mental health. By pursuing this approach, coming to the office can be a pleasure, or a ‘treat’ for the team during the working week, rather than something to be endured.

The modern office needs to adapt to this need, and we are seeing that flexible working spaces have the capacity and agility to close this gap between work and play. At x+why, for example, we recently launched the idea of our Clubspace, with the first manifestation of this at Birmingham’s 103 Colmore Row in ‘eighteen’, a space designed to encourage employee engagement and socialising.

Building supportive communities

For smaller companies, the move to remote working has seen significant benefits, such as on costs, but there remains the need for activities like in-person brainstorming and strategic planning. The opportunity that an office can also provide to meet and exchange ideas with like-minded people and businesses is invaluable, and something that has probably become ever more important in a remote-working world.

It can make for a much more productive and inspiring environment. At x+why we are focused on providing a space for businesses with a purpose to come together, collaborate and learn from each other. It is really exciting to see the communities that are forming and the benefits that businesses are able to gain as a result of the insights received.

A more flexible future

The reality today, therefore, is that people still need physical working environments, but the shift to hybrid working means companies no longer need to enter into long-term leases with space for 100 percent of their staff and excess to grow into. We are seeing more and more companies, including those who have traditionally always opted for large branded spaces, who are ditching the metaphorical typewriter and joining the laptop age. They are opting for offices with fewer desks than they have people, as it becomes commonplace not to expect everybody to be in every day.

Technology allows companies to run increasingly balance sheet light, encouraging more flexibility in staff working and taking on shorter-term flexible leases, mitigating any long-term liability. This isn’t actually anything new, or a revolutionary idea – flexible working spaces have been around for years – but with a new rhythm to our working lives, businesses are waking up to the opportunity that this offers them.

What exactly hybrid work looks like for each organisation is still taking shape, and no one office space will be right for everyone. But those businesses that spend time thinking about how the modern office fits into their future, and the space that is required to best meet the new needs of their workforce, are likely to create the most positive type of experience for their team and gain the most from a productivity perspective.

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Rupert Dean is CEO of x+why.