While many businesses have taken the plunge into implementing a fully remote workforce post-pandemic, many are taking the opportunity to shift towards a hybrid work model. A hybrid work model may give employers and their employees the best of both worlds - allowing them to combine remote working with some days in the office. A hybrid model provides staff with the flexibility and positive work-life balance that they desire, while still providing plenty of opportunities for collaboration and face-to-face support from colleagues. From the employers' perspective, hybrid working enables the potential downsizing of office space, allowing considerable cost-cutting. Hybrid working can also increase employee recruitment and retention and greatly boost work productivity.

With the advantages of hybrid, or blended, working clear, how do you go about setting up an effective hybrid workspace for your staff? Here, we give some tips for designing a suitable people-centric hybrid workspace.

When setting up your hybrid working environment, you must consider just what the space will actually be used for. As staff blend remote and in-office working, the traditional office building will become more of a collaborative hub - a place to convene for formal and informal meetings, presentations, training sessions and social and team-building activities. If designed properly, your workspace will help to encourage and support a hybrid working style.

So, what should you be considering as you look to design a suitable hybrid workplace?

Collaboration and Community 

As mentioned above, the hybrid office will mainly be used as a hub to support collaboration and a sense of community within the business. This is something that simply can not be achieved with fully remote working and is an excellent reason for adopting a hybrid work model instead.

Think about ways in which you can foster collaboration within your teams. Many businesses find that setting up ‘social zones’ within the office or ‘huddle rooms’ helps to spur collaboration and creativity. Open-plan offices can naturally lead to a more collaborative workforce while eliminating the claustrophobic and dated feel of traditional office box cubicles. You should consider adding a ‘wellness space’ to your office environment as a means of prioritising your employees’ mental and physical wellbeing and bringing together the workforce in a positive way. This space could take whatever form you like, some successful ideas from other businesses include a yoga area, comfortable seating and a refrigerator stocked with healthy snacks and drinks.

Resimercial Design

With much of the workforce having spent the last two years working from the comfort of their own home, employers are looking for ways to bring a homely feeling into the modern office setting. Resimercal design, literally a combination of both “residential” and “commercial”, does just that.

Blending homeliness with corporate needn’t be difficult, but, if done properly, it can help your staff to settle into their new hybrid working life. Resimercal design should include:

• Comfy and cosy office furniture with ergonomic features
• Plenty of natural, yet soft lighting to keep things bright and homely
• Lots of open spaces to foster collaboration
• Relaxing breakout areas with cushions and soft furnishings
• Plants and colourful and thoughtful accessories

Connectivity

Connectivity is key when implementing a hybrid style of working. Think about how you can facilitate smooth transitions for your team between working from home and coming into the office. If they are not supported correctly, these transitions can prove difficult for some employees. Obviously, technology plays a vital role in keeping everybody connected, so make sure that your equipment is suitable and up-to-date. Your staff will need access to the latest communication tools, hardware and software to allow them to perform their jobs to the best of their abilities. Strong video conferencing capabilities and access to high-speed internet is a must.

With employees spending a lot of time connecting remotely, security measures must be up to scratch to protect the integrity of sensitive company data. As well as ensuring that security software is updated, staff must be adequately trained to take responsibility for data protection and adhere to company policies.  

Fewer Desks 

With fewer people in the office at any given time, comes a need for fewer desks. This freed up space can be put to good use - by designing more social areas! Collaboration doesn’t just happen in structured meetings and designated “huddle rooms”. Informal chats around the vending machine can lead to great things too! Available space can be used to add social areas, such as a brand new communal kitchen area, an air hockey or table tennis section or acoustic booths and pods.

Final Thoughts

While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to designing your hybrid office space, there are some important things to consider. The key takeaway is to focus on how to make the space work effectively as a hub for collaboration and social interaction.