How is the office still relevant in the future?

While offices will no longer be the primary place of work, as working from home and hybrid working becomes increasingly popular, offices are still indispensable for any business. It is very important for employees to be able to visit the office regularly. According to studies , working from home every day during the Covid-19 pandemic had a detrimental impact on employees’ mental health. People need to feel connected with their colleagues, and to have face-to-face contact that an office provides. Our very own employees mentioned they missed working at the office, especially the connection with coworkers and involvement in the business. So, what did employees miss from the office during the Covid-19 lockdowns? Besides the mental health issues that working from home has brought about, it has also impacted us negatively physically. At the office, people generally get some physical activity through commuting and visiting different departments at work. Working from home on a full-time basis has made us stuck in one chair for the whole day, getting little to no physical activity and leading to loneliness. Working at the office is a great way to stay in movement, celebrate successes together and to enhance cohesion within the team. Usually, offices also provide better facilities and tools than the standard home office, such as better quality printers, furniture, meeting areas or even a company restaurant with healthy lunches. Although offices are conclusively still just as relevant, the way offices are organised and designed shows room for improvement.

What is Hybrid Working?

Hybrid Working is a flexible working model where employees work partly in the physical office space and partly remotely (at home or any other chosen location). The idea arose from the desire of employees to have flexibility in their working days / hours, to gain a better work-life balance. And the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this process. It is important that organisations understand the different needs and wishes people have when working hybrid. That way, the most effective working environment can be created. A flexible environment where they can collaborate, be productive, and feel appreciated and involved. Hybrid working models can vary in the degree of flexibility. We can distinguish the following hybrid working models: – Hybrid at will: employees choose which days they would like to work at the office. – Hybrid split-week: The company assigns which days employees are working at the office. – Hybrid manager-scheduling: The manager chooses which days their team will be working at the office. – Hybrid mix: A mix of the above variations. The number one purpose of hybrid work is to provide employees flexibility. It allows employees to work where and when they are most productive. Studies have shown that increased flexibility results in increased job satisfaction and employee well-being. The hybrid working models ensures happier and more loyal employees. The most important element of Hybrid Working is technology. Structuring communication and realising a flexible workspace can be done by using the right technology. With Smart software tools for Desk Booking & Room Booking , the employees can book their workplace in advance. That way they are assured of a desk or meeting room, when they come to the office. Room Management in the Hybrid Workplace Desk Management in the Hybrid Workplace GoBright wins Hybrid Working Solutions Award

Is hot desking Covid-19 proof?

As people will start sharing desks, it is logical that you want to know whether this is a responsible way of working considering the coronavirus. As with any other working style, cleaning and disinfecting regularly is key to keeping a safe working environment. With GoBright’s addition of the colour purple to Glow and Connect , you and your employees will be able to see whether a desk needs cleaning in the blink of an eye. This way, your employees can make responsible choices regarding working at a hygienic desk . You can read more about going Covid-proof with your office in this article .

How do I implement hot desking successfully?

Hot desking is currently trending among businesses and is an indispensable aspect of the Office of the Future . It can be quite challenging to switch from a workplace that is used to fixed desks, to a flexible working environment. Here are a few tips to make the transition go as smoothly as possible. Flexible in all aspects Hot desking in itself is having the flexibility to choose whatever desk you work at when you arrive at the office. But why limit this flexibility to the workplace? Hybrid Working has become increasingly popular, with 60% of employees saying that this has become their preferred way of working. While Hybrid Working is a great solution for many, the problem that does arise is that people don’t know who of their colleagues will be present at the office. This can stagnate collaboration between coworkers. Thankfully, this problem can be solved by providing your employees with a Desk Booking system , such as GoBright’s. This allows your employees to book desks at home, so they don’t have to waste time looking for a spot at the office. They can also quickly see which desks are occupied and by whom, which is useful for collaboration purposes. Designing the Office of the Future Now that you have incorporated hot desking and flexibility into your work culture, it is important to stimulate your employees to actually visit the office. How do you create a workspace that is more attractive to work at, than the comfort of their own homes? Office design is a key factor in this. Your employees will want to work in a safe and healthy environment. The first thing you should implement in your office is height adjustable desks . You can choose desks that can be manually adjusted, but you can also choose to have technology do the adjusting for you. GoBright’s Desk Booking System can be complemented with GoBright Connects, in which your employees can install their preferred height. Since the Connects have a follow-me system, it does not matter which desk your employee uses in the future. Their preferred height is saved and the desk will automatically adjust itself when the employee is checked in. Besides a safe and healthy environment, employees also want to work comfortably. Now that they’re used to working from home, the office should feel like a second home to them in order to make it attractive to work at. Because everybody has different preferences in terms of working environments, you should tailor your office to be fitting for everybody. You can do this by creating separate spaces, such as silent rooms and an office living room. The standard grey office full of desks is no longer attractive to work at for the majority of employees. This way, you’ll give your employees the sense of being home at work.

What is a future-proof office?

The office used to be a place where employees arrived at 9 o’clock to work and left at the end of the day to get home. The primary function of the building was to arrive on time and work. However, over the past few years, this function changed. The Covid-19 pandemic showed that the physical building was no longer needed to get work done. It was also possible to do the work from home. While this seems perfectly innovative, studies have shown that solely working from home negatively impacted employees’ mental health. This proves that physical offices are still crucial for the modern employee. As the function of the office altered, people’s expectations of work environments changed drastically. Nowadays, people see the office as a space where employees can make real contact and where creative freedom is stimulated. Where the office used to be a place for work, it is now a social destination. It is crucial that modern companies fulfil their new function by tailoring the working environment to the needs of their employees. Not only does the office of the future look impeccable, but it is also functional, and supportive of its users, using modern Smart Office software . The ideal office is innovative and always looking for improvement.

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Back to the Office after Covid-19

Return to Office

Help your employees and business back on track and support flexible working.

Provide a safe and healthy workplace where employees are ready to return to the office, feel heard and are involved and connected.

Explore the wishes and concerns of the employees.
Investigate the (im)possibilities of the office space.
Dare to think in Smart Technology solutions.

Establish a solid Return to Office policy using smart software for desk booking, room booking, visitor management and digital signage.

Continue reading about Return to Office

GoBright Work - Desk Booking - Desk Management - Digibase

The (partial) Return to Office

While employers were hoping for a full return to the office at the beginning of the pandemic, there now is a realisation that this idea is really a thing of the past. Different studies show that most of the workforce prefer a hybrid working pattern, in which they work 2-3 days a week in the office or at home. The fact remains that going back to the office, in whatever form, is relevant and of current importance. Return to Office strategies are at the top of the to-do lists of many HR and Facility Managers.

GoBright Work - Desk Booking - Hygienic Desk - Clean Desk - Purple

Why Return to the office?

Thanks to Covid-19 and two years of working from home, employers are given the opportunity to rethink the corporate culture and reshape the functionality of the office. They can create the ideal workplace that makes employees feel more connected and protected. Using innovative and smart software solutions, enabling employees to work more productively. And keeping the right work-life balance.

Productive and Connected

At the office you can focus on your work, feel valued, learn from others and complement your colleagues.

Collaboration

Brainstorming, working together on a project, or having a real life discussion helps to develop new ideas.

Socialising

Appreciate the fun parts of interacting with colleagues over a cup of coffee. Social contact is a valuable asset.

Proper office facilities

Enjoy the office facilities, such as a height adjustable desk, meeting rooms, or video conferencing tools.

Health and Wellbeing

We are social beings who mentally and physically need to interact with other people in person to excel.

GoBright - Return to the Office - Collaborate, meet each other and feel inspired

A place to meet & collaborate

We now know that we can work anytime and anywhere. As a result, the function of the office has changed permanently. We go back to the office to collaborate on projects, to meet the team or to welcome customers and other partners. GoBright can help your workforce return to the office smoothly and safely, keeping their needs and wishes in mind.

How do we return to work?

Some of the employees can’t wait to return to the office; they miss their colleagues, or certain office facilities. While others prefer to continue to work partly at home, or find it exciting to be around many people for health reasons. So many factors can play a role and it is important to, first, gain insight into the thoughts and wishes of the employees. So, start the conversation now!

Why do colleagues come to the office?

GoBright - Return to the office - Desk Booking

Back to the Office with Room & Desk Booking

Pre-booking a desk or room will become a requirement to guarantee a smooth return to the office. People need some sort of certainty and predictability to feel comfortable. That is the reason we notice that our features ‘find my colleague’, hygienic desk, team booking and recurring desk booking are so popular.

With the GoBright desk booking and room booking software you can easily reduce the capacity per room or floor and limit the number of people in your building. With employees booking their workplace or meeting room in advance, they know what to expect when they get to the office. They have the certainty of a booked desk. And the employer knows exactly how many people are in the office. You get direct insight into the free spaces, the occupied spaces and the spaces that need to be cleaned. You now know what the busiest days of the week or the busiest hours in a day are. That way, you can advise teams to come to work at a different time or scale up the cleaning services on specific days.

Check out more ‘Back to Office’ solutions

GoBright Work - Desk Booking - Clean Desk - Hygienic Desk

Return to a Clean and Hygienic workplace

Since Covid-19, we have become more aware of the importance of a clean workplace. Managing a clean workplace, especially in offices where different colleagues use the same desk, has become inevitable. Knowing that your workplace is clean gives employees a peace of mind and a safe feeling. That is why we developed the ‘Hygienic Desk‘ feature.

The color Purple indicates a desk needs to be cleaned (Covid-19 proof) before another colleague uses it. If you check out at a desk, both the GoBright Connect & Glow and the desk itself on Mapping will turn purple. Other colleagues know they can’t use this desk at this moment. And the cleaners know that this desk needs to be cleaned. They can pay extra attention to these ‘purple’ workplaces. Only authorized persons are allowed to reset the table – after cleaning – back to green. And what has not been used (desk is still green at the end of the day), does not need to be cleaned. That’s what we call ‘smart cleaning’.

GoBright Connect - Desk Booking - Purple Cleaning

From 'Back-to-Work' to Hybrid Working

Setting the Return to the Office policy might be a short-term solution for some. But for most employers it is becoming the way to implement the benefits of the flexible office for the long-term. Being able to work where and when you want, having less travel time and traffic jams on the road, having a better work/life balance and being able to book the workplaces that you actually need. But also gaining better insights into the office occupancy, more effective use of resources, reducing costs for office space, heating and electricity…. and therefore a significant cost saving.

This means that many organisations are switching to full Hybrid Working. Hybrid Working is the perfect opportunity for companies to explore what their employees expect of their work environment and reinvent the office.

Hybrid Working

Make your Return to Office policy future-proof with Hybrid Working.

What to expect

Flexible use of space.

Facilitating different needs and wants for the office.

Technological implementations.

GoBright Smart Office Solutions Positive Employee Experience

Employee Wellbeing

Make returning to the office a positive experience for your employees.

What to expect

User-centered and user-friendly design.

Create a healthy and meaningful company culture.

Foster flexible working with smart tools.

Smart Office

Make your Return to Office smart with smart office technology.

What to expect

Work smarter, not harder.

Discover opportunities to maximise space efficiency.

Work, collaborate, meet and be inspired.

Orange Cyberdefense GoBright Hybrid Working solutions cantine

1500+ employees
Challenge: designing a social office environment
Room and Desk Booking and Visitor Registration

View complete case

Gobright Work - Thirteen Group - Desk Booking

2500+ employees
Challenge: engender a culture of choice and trust
Room and Desk Booking and Visitor Registration

View complete case

Frequently asked questions

Find your answer

While offices will no longer be the primary place of work, as working from home and hybrid working becomes increasingly popular, offices are still indispensable for any business. It is...

Hybrid Working is a flexible working model where employees work partly in the physical office space and partly remotely (at home or any other chosen location). The idea...

As people will start sharing desks, it is logical that you want to know whether this is a responsible way of working considering the coronavirus. As with any other...

Hot desking is currently trending among businesses and is an indispensable aspect of the Office of the Future. It can be quite challenging to switch from a workplace...

The office used to be a place where employees arrived at 9 o’clock to work and left at the end of the day to get home. The primary function...

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Back to the Office after Covid-19

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The (partial) Return to Office

Why Return to the office?

Productive and Connected

Collaboration

Socialising

Proper office facilities

Health and Wellbeing

A place to meet & collaborate

How do we return to work?

Back to the Office with Room & Desk Booking

Return to a Clean and Hygienic workplace

From 'Back-to-Work' to Hybrid Working

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Ready for the future of the office with GoBright Smart Office solutions

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