Studies show that as much as 72% of companies are moving to a hybrid workspace. Although many employees will still be working remotely, employees that are returning to the office will arrive with new expectations and questions.
- What will the workplace now look like?
- How can I collaborate effectively with my colleagues?
- How safe is the workplace?
Modern Office Furniture Can Help Create a Fluid and Flexible Workplace
The new modified workplace will be fluid and flexible, and can change accordingly to demands.
Designing for Geometry and Division
Division, geometry, and division strategies are here to stay.
Modern office furniture will be chosen and arranged such that they can maximize distance, minimize close face-to-face interaction, and keep users safe. In an open active collaboration space where teams can brainstorm and generate new ideas, there will be individual tables that can be easily reconfigured for distancing measures or group sizes. Meanwhile, for small, shared spaces where two people need to collaborate, seating will be staggered in opposite sides to eliminate direct face-to-face orientation while maintaining distance.
Flip Enclosed and Open Spaces
In the past, meetings were conducted in enclosed rooms, and individual workstations were in an open area. Now, as Steelcase predicts, “meetings will happen more often in open spaces with movable boundaries, and individual focus work will happen in enclosed spaces like pods or small enclaves.” It’s important in either of those approaches, that there is flexible modern office furniture (screens, panels, pods) and easy to access audio visual technology to support it.
The Rise of Hot Desks
Many believe that space ownership will be a thing of the past, as more companies employ hot desking. Hot desking refers to a space that any employee or group of employees can use for work. Rather than having a personal desk, hot desks allow employees to work when and where they want. It can lead to an increase in employee innovation, collaboration, and productivity. Meanwhile, for companies, this maximizes space efficiency.
Creating a Touchless Workplace
While touchless technology has already existed in workplaces, the pandemic has only spurred more companies to adopt them. For example, employees can now:
- Use their mobile devices to enter buildings and call elevators.
- Enter a room, and the room sensor will automatically turn on the technology in the room. (This can be achieved through the Crestron Airmedia – Wireless Presentation System.)
- Collaborate with remote team members through voice activated devices like the Microsoft Surface Hub 2.
- Share content wirelessly in meetings.
Enabling a touchless workplace helps employees feel safe to come to work.
Get the Right Modern Office Furniture Today
Contact the experts at POI today to learn more about how we can help you build a collaborative and productive workplace through the use of modern office furniture and audio visual technology.