ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

• Hybrid work is the future and coworking spaces are the way to get there
• Failing to offer flexible work arrangements is a risk for organizations
• Hybrid work shouldn’t feel like an additional workload

You may think that the flexible work era was set in motion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After all, the whole world had to adjust to working from home and striving for a certain level of productivity. However, the movement of flexible work began long before that and is set to be the future of corporate life as we know it. It is undeniable that a hybrid model is the future of work, and that companies around the world should ease the transition for their employees, as opposed to resisting it.  

In this article we will cover:

• How employees can embrace the best of both working from home and from the office
• How your company can ease the transition toward a hybrid model
• The impactful role coworking spaces play in sustaining the future of hybrid work

Embracing the best of both worlds 

When it all began back in 2020, we hoped that the work-from-home era would last no longer than a couple of months. We were all so eager to go back to a normal pace of life, and the conversation of return to the office was much easier back then. 

Today, after two years of this ordeal and as we begin to round the corner on the pandemic, we’ve come to realize that things are not as black and white as we thought. 

Granted, the transition to working from home was challenging to many employees. 

Although the prospects of staying home, not having to venture out into city traffic, and working comfortably in athleisure attire were tempting, many employees struggled with productivity, distractions, reliable internet, and mental wellbeing. 

We then expected a mass migration back to the office only to realize that employees no longer wanted to go back to the normal they left in 2020. They still wanted the structure a workplace provided, but they also embraced the benefits of a flexible schedule, relocation possibilities, and prioritizing their mental wellbeing. 

All in all, the digital employee experience is just as important as the physical one. And if your organization hired many employees remotely, you can still provide them with a hybrid work model even if your company doesn’t have any offices where they live. How do you achieve that? Coworking spaces. 

How can your company ease the transition from remote to hybrid work? 

If you have succeeded in getting everyone on board with a work hybrid model, that is not the end of it. You still need to facilitate the transition for your employees. 

Make no mistake: the office is still extremely important. It is meant to provide structure, support, and guidance. However, it is no longer for the daily tasks and should be utilized for team meetings, collaborative work, and creative tasks. What this means for your office space is that it needs to evolve from a task execution environment to more of a destination.

Here are 5 ways you can support your team during this transition

1. Reshape your office layout

At the core of hybrid, work is your employees’ ability to be just as productive and fulfilled working from home as working from the office. 

Chances are, your company might have gone through drastic changes and transitions throughout the pandemic. Relocations, downsizing, layoffs, all of these factors have affected what your office space looks like today. So when your employees come back to work, they will either be faced with the same office they left back in 2020, or a new environment they’ve never been in before. Either way, a successful hybrid model is an intentional one. So you need to ensure that you create a space that is more of a relationship-building destination and encourages activities that make interactions effortless and enjoyable. 

2. Implement training days

A key factor in making your employees feel valued and appreciated is supporting their self-development journey. If you already had training initiatives in place before the pandemic, now is the time to reinstate them. If you didn’t, you might want to consider it. 

These training and development efforts have seen a significant drop due to remote work. Granted we all tried to maintain them through a virtual format, however, the Zoom fatigue was real, and training took a back seat for so long. Establishing these training opportunities would allow your employees to learn from each other. Internal networking within your organization can foster a durable team dynamic and encourage a culture of diversity and inclusion.

3. Be mindful of your team’s work/life balance

Conversations around burnout and being overworked were quite significant over the past two years. We’ve realized that even remote employees can feel stressed and overworked. Although working from home is appealing to many of us, the lines between personal life and professional life can be blurred. 

How does it affect hybrid work? Well, while commuting to the office a few days a week might help differentiate personal and professional life, we need to be wary of increasing employees’ stress levels. Going to the office should not feel like an addition to their workload, it should promote collaboration and culture building. You could potentially alter your business hours on office days or schedule group activities and gatherings. 

4. Utilize Coworking Spaces

As we all know, the rise of coworking spaces in 2022 is undeniable. They’ve been a huge asset in facilitating remote work and transitioning to a hybrid model. If all of your employees are located in the city where your offices are, it would make the transition quite easy. However, if you’ve hired remote workers from out of state, you can still provide them with a hybrid workspace by utilizing coworking spaces as an extension of your company. 

Collaborating with a coworking space is not only beneficial for your employees, it is also a smart financial investment. Instead of investing in real estate and having to manage an additional office space, you simply pay a membership that would last as long as your employees are using it. 

In addition, today’s coworking spaces are extremely thorough in the environment they create and the culture they foster within their facilities. You can count on events, team-building activities, and excellent customer service. 

The future of work is hybrid

If these past two years are any indication, companies need to stop thinking about where their employees are working, and instead, focus on how to recruit top talent and retain them. When you hire remote employees and provide them with a hybrid work model, you find yourself with better and more diverse talent and get the benefits of global perspectives. 

Now it is up to you to pave the way by offering the right spaces and resources to ensure your employees are successful.

About Focal Point:
Focal Point is a collaborative, inspiring, and professional workspace dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes. Our vision is to build a flexible, connected culture that empowers people, businesses, and the community to grow and succeed. You can expect a professional work environment, stellar customer service, inspiring interactions, and quiet seclusion that boosts
productivity. Schedule a tour today and experience flexible work at its finest.