Over the past year, many large employers have settled on a hybrid model as the best path forward.

According to new policies from tech giants like Google and Microsoft, as well as consulting firms IBM, EY, and McKinsey, most companies now aim to have employees split their time between working remotely and coming into physical offices or client sites.

They recognize that employees value flexibility, but that in-person interaction remains important for activities like team building, coaching/mentoring, ideation sessions, and complex problem-solving projects.

The specifics vary, but many employers ask staff to be on-site two to three days per week. Some cite internal data showing hybrid models may optimize outcomes around the 40-60% range for time spent collaborating face-to-face. Products measured include metrics like productivity, employee well-being, retention rates, and client feedback.

Being able to cater policies to different job functions and team needs is also a priority, as a one-size-fits-all approach will not work for all companies or roles. Consulting, for example, requires more on-site client time. Overall, companies continue refining their strategies through testing and employee surveys.

While the pandemic blurred the lines between work and home life, fully remote arrangements seem to be losing favor compared to balanced hybrid policies. For most major employers, the emerging standard is a flexible approach balancing office collaboration with the autonomy of remote work.

This “new normal,” hybrid appears poised to become the dominant structure for many white-collar jobs.

Learn more about how to implement your hybrid office: Offision – your all-in-one smart office platform

The post The Rise of Hybrid Work: How Major Companies Are Balancing Flexibility and Collaboration first appeared on ONEs Blog.

As Forbes recently discussed, studies suggest that hybrid and remote models are widely supported in the business world as follows:

• Studies show that 80% of financial services firms now have hybrid work models in place, with some allowing full flexibility and others requiring 2-3 days per week in the office.
• A survey of women workers found that 88% believe hybrid work equalizes the workplace and reduces biases, and 72% would look for a new job if hybrid flexibility was taken away.
• 67% of women said hybrid work positively impacts their career growth by allowing more efficiency, opportunities for training, and visibility with leadership.

Other than these benefits, hybrid working also can help shift workplace culture away from a “Hustle culture” toward an “Outcome culture”.

What is “Hustle culture”?

“Hustle culture” refers to a workplace culture that glorifies overwork, long hours, and constant busyness or availability.

In a hustle culture, employees feel pressure to show how hard they’re working through efforts like frequently responding to emails late at night or coming into the office on weekends.

This culture implies that more hours logged or less time off equals greater dedication or higher performance.

Proponents of an “outcome culture” argue this focus on hours is misguided. Rather than tracking how much employees work, the emphasis should be on achieving key results and impacts.

Managers should clearly define desired outcomes, and as long as those outcomes are delivered, the specific hours worked or time off taken is less relevant. This could reduce burnout, improve work-life balance, and boost productivity.

However, a pure outcome culture may not suit every role or company. It also requires a shift in how managers evaluate and reward employees to be successful.

While deprioritizing hours in favor of results may sound good in theory, it must be balanced with ensuring employees are meeting reasonable productivity or workload expectations.

How hybrid working helps?

Hybrid work models that incorporate remote work make it harder to track how many hours employees spend working or to monitor face time in the office. This means hours logged or presence are less salient measures of performance, nudging companies to focus more on outcomes achieved.

If managers can’t as easily see who is “hustling” the most or working the longest hours, they must rely more on clear outcome expectations and trust that employees will get the work done on their own schedules.

At the same time, hybrid work gives employees more control and flexibility in how and when they work. This autonomy is better suited to an outcome culture, where employees are responsible for meeting goals however they choose, rather than an hours-based hustle culture.

When people have flexibility, they can work when they’re most productive and balanced, which could boost results. And when they are evaluated based on outcomes, not hours, their work time may be less demanding, reducing burnout.

Of course, hybrid or remote work is not a silver bullet and does not guarantee an outcome culture will emerge. Companies must make deliberate choices to define outcomes, evaluate performance accordingly, and grant flexibility/autonomy.

Managers will need support in adjusting to this type of culture as well. However, hybrid models do create an opportunity to at least reduce fixation on hours and encourage a shift in focus toward the results and impacts of work.

For companies seeking a healthier and potentially more productive culture, this could be a valuable benefit of hybrid work. Implementing a smart office system like ONES can also help enable seamless hybrid collaboration, facilitating the transition to an outcome-oriented evaluation and promotion of work-life balance.

To learn more, schedule a demo today.

The post How Hybrid Work Could Inspire an Outcome-Driven Culture? first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Digital nomads leverage technology to create a location-independent lifestyle, allowing them to travel and work remotely. This lifestyle can involve working from home, coffee shops, co-working spaces, or even exotic locations abroad. Research suggests that 80% of digital nomads prefer to stay in one location for 3-9 months.

According to recent data, this trend is on the rise:

• The number of digital nomads is expected to reach 1 billion by 2035.
• 74% of workers say they would quit their current job for one that offered remote work.
• 90% of employees say that flexibility in their work is important.

So why are so many people choosing to become digital nomads? Research by IWG found that two-thirds of workers believe that being able to choose where they work means they can perform better. There are a few more key reasons:

• Flexibility: Digital nomads have the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, on their own schedule.
• Work-life balance: By working remotely, digital nomads can often achieve a better balance between their work and personal lives.
• Cost savings: Without the need for a traditional office, digital nomads can save money on rent and other expenses.

It’s not just employees who are benefiting from this trend, however. Companies are also seeing the advantages of embracing the digital nomad lifestyle:

• Increased productivity: Studies have shown that remote workers are often more productive than those who work in a traditional office environment.
• Cost savings: By allowing employees to work remotely, companies can save money on office space and other overhead costs.
• Access to a wider talent pool: By offering remote work, companies can attract and retain top talent from around the world.

But how can companies adapt to this trend? One solution is to use a smart office system like ONES. By offering features such as hot desking, virtual collaboration, and real-time communication, ONES can help companies facilitate remote work and collaboration. With ONES, teams can work together seamlessly, no matter where they are in the world.

In conclusion, the rise of the digital nomad is a trend that companies cannot afford to ignore. By embracing remote work and using tools like ONES, companies can not only stay ahead of the curve, but also attract and retain top talent while increasing productivity and reducing costs.

To learn more, schedule a demo today.

The post Digital Nomad is the New Norm first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Here are some tips for mastering hybrid work in 2023, along with how ONES smart office system can help:

1. Create a dedicated workspace: Set up a dedicated workspace that can be used for work only. This can help you establish boundaries and improve focus, even when working from home.
   
   ONES can help you find and book available workspaces in the office, and ensure you have the tools and resources you need to be productive.
   
2. Stick to a schedule: Maintain a consistent work schedule and communicate it with your team. This can help establish routine and accountability, whether you’re working remotely or in the office.
   
   ONES can help you manage your schedule and book available resources, ensuring you’re always in control of your workday.
   
3. Utilize collaboration tools: Hybrid work relies heavily on effective communication and collaboration, and having the right tools is essential.
   
   Utilize tools like video conferencing, messaging, and project management software to stay connected with your team.
   
4. Prioritize self-care: Working from home can blur the lines between work and personal life, making it important to prioritize self-care. Take breaks throughout the day, get outside for fresh air, and establish boundaries around work hours.
   
   ONES can help you manage your time and space, ensuring you have the resources you need to prioritize your well-being.
   
5. Leverage data insights: Data insights can provide valuable information on how you work and how your workplace can be improved.
   
   Use insights from tools like ONES to understand how you use your workspace, when you’re most productive, and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

Contact us today to learn more about how ONES can help you succeed in the new era of work. To learn more, schedule a demo today.

Last but not least, Porch recently published an article about the future of hybrid work, featuring insights from a panel of experts on how the pandemic has transformed the way we work and what changes we can expect in the coming years. Those who are interested in the future of work can read: “How to Implement a Hybrid Work Environment: Advice from Experts”.

The post Mastering Hybrid Work in 2023: Tips and Tools for Success with ONES first appeared on ONEs Blog.

In this article, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step process to define your workplace strategy.

What is a workplace strategy?

A workplace strategy is “a systematic approach for improving the
effectiveness and efficiency of how workspace is used by changing the way workspace is configured“.

A well-thought-out strategy in the workplace can boost your company’s output and performance while also improving collaboration and teamwork. It can also lower absenteeism and presenteeism while increasing employee engagement.

It is crucial to remember that this is a very personal matter, as there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy because the company’s business goals play a major role in developing one. What works in one workspace may not work in another, even if both are owned by the same company.

Reasons for a workplace strategy

First of all, it can lower your operational cost.

By doing your first-time research about whether the way your workplace is utilized in the most efficient way, you will quickly find out that there is a big portion of your office that is not being used most of the time. Operational costs can be then greatly reduced by reorganizing these office places to be flexible workplaces or transferring them into smaller spaces.

Also, it can improve your employees’ work-life balance and performance.

Workplace strategies such as flexible working can help people to obtain autonomy in picking their working places and times in different situations. Flexible working hours, and a hybrid office set-up with all-in-one smart office system support can assist your employees in achieving a work-life balance, which can improve employee satisfaction and of course, their performance.

How to develop your own workplace strategy?

Step 1: Analyze Your Business Objectives

The first step in defining your workplace strategy is to analyze your business objectives. Identify your company’s key goals, such as improving collaboration, enhancing innovation, or reducing real estate costs.

This analysis will help you determine what types of workspaces and amenities are needed to support your objectives.

Step 2: Assess Your Current Workplace

The second step is to assess your current workplace. Conduct a space utilization analysis to determine how your space is being used and identify any inefficiencies. Also, survey your employees to understand their needs and preferences in the workplace.

Step 3: Define Your Workplace Policies

The third step is to define your workplace policies. Determine your company’s policies on issues such as remote work, flexible hours, and office layout. These policies will inform your workplace design and help create a culture of productivity and engagement.

Step 4: Design Your Workplace

The fourth step is to design your workplace. Use the information gathered in the previous steps to create a workplace design that supports your business goals, employee needs, and workplace policies. Consider factors such as space planning, furniture selection, and technology integration.

Step 5: Implement Your Workplace Strategy

The final step is to implement your workplace strategy. Communicate your workplace policies and design to your employees, and provide training on how to use the new workspace effectively.

Monitor your space utilization and employee engagement to ensure that your workplace strategy is meeting your business goals.

Why ONES is Your Ideal Workplace Strategy Partner

ONES provides smart workplace solutions that can help you define and implement your workplace strategy.

With features such as occupancy sensing, desk booking, and visitor management, ONES can optimize your space utilization, improve employee productivity, and enhance workplace safety.

ONES also provides real-time workplace analytics to help you monitor your space utilization and employee engagement, so you can continuously refine your workplace strategy.

Choose ONES as your workplace strategy partner and take your workplace to the next level.

Contact us: hello@ones.software, or visit ONEs Software official website for more information: https://ones.software/sg/.  

The post How to define your workplace strategy? A Step-by-Step Guide first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Hybrid working is an arrangement in which a company’s management and employees alternate between working in a physical office and working remotely. The transformation is now evolving as many firms adopt hybrid working practices to accommodate an increasingly digital-based workforce.

By Gallup’s recent survey, remote work flexibility appears to be quickly becoming a permanent feature of the workweek for most employees working remote-capable jobs, with nine out of ten preferring some degree of long-term remote flexibility in the future and nearly eight out of ten expecting it from their employer.

Given this shift in where and how remote-capable people work, the next key question is how to best arrange hybrid work schedules with employees who split their time between remote and office environments.

Expectations of Hybrid Work

Hybrid work expectations include:

• Employees have quick and secure access to business resources from wherever they are, including seamless transitions into and out of the office network and access to local and cloud resources.
• Being able to use any device (a personal iPhone or iPad or a professional laptop) from any location – home, work, a coffee shop, or an aircraft — while knowing that security controls would be in place.
• Less (or no) commute time and no friction when asking for resources to execute their work successfully.

General Statistics

General hybrid working trend

Gartner predicts that by the end of 2023, 39% of global knowledge workers will be working in a hybrid model that combines remote and office-based work.

This is a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels and is being driven by a variety of factors such as employee preferences, cost savings for companies, and the need for greater flexibility and work-life balance.

“For remote-first or hybrid organizations, fully mature virtual workspaces may replace the office as the embodiment of company culture and become the center of the digital employee experience,” said Christopher Trueman, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner.

“However, employees should not be expected to engage in the virtual workspace for their entire workday. Virtual workspaces should only be used for meetings and interactions that will be enhanced by them, such as brainstorming, product reviews, or social gatherings.”

(Gartner)

More than 70% of employees are working from home at least two to three days a week.

This is an increase over the previous year’s EY Index, which indicated that just roughly 42% of firms used a mixed strategy. New and complex work patterns significantly impact a company’s real estate strategy, including the quantity of office space needed and the cost of using that space.

Almost 60% use, or plan to use, reservation systems for space usage and/or occupancy tracking.

(EY)

“Work-from-anywhere” is the new reality

By IWG trends forecast for 2023, work from anywhere is rapidly becoming the norm, and companies that embrace this trend are likely to see significant benefits.

• 70% of professionals work remotely at least once a week, and 53% work remotely for at least half the week.
• By 2025, an estimated 1.87 billion people will be working remotely.
• Remote workers are more productive and report better work-life balance than office-based workers. A remarkable 98% of managers said they’re confident in their teams’ ability to deliver results on non-office days, by the FlexOS report. 
• Work from anywhere is becoming a key factor for job seekers, with 70% saying it’s important when considering a new role.
• Companies that embrace work from anywhere see benefits such as increased productivity, reduced real estate costs, and access to a wider talent pool.
• Technology is a crucial enabler of work from anywhere, with tools like video conferencing, collaboration software, and cloud-based platforms facilitating remote work.

Hybrid work is preferred across ASEAN markets

The Cisco study highlighted many employees across ASEAN markets now prefer that hybrid work:

• Singapore – 71%
• Malaysia – 74%
• Indonesia – 84%
• Vietnam – 76%
• Thailand – 69%
• The Philippines – 60%

The support for hybrid work extends beyond employees as well — with 90% of employees saying their employers have been supportive of hybrid working.

In particular, 46% said their employers have been supportive, while 44% said their employers have been very supportive.

(Cisco)

Employees’ preferred work modes in APAC

In a 2022 survey conducted among employees in the Asia-Pacific region, a majority of 66 percent of the respondents stated they would prefer to work in hybrid mode in the future.

In contrast, only ten percent of the respondents preferred in-person work.

(statists)

The implementation of financial services firms

Studies show that 80% of financial services firms now have hybrid work models in place, with some allowing full flexibility and others requiring 2-3 days per week in the office.

The studies also found that only 20% of financial services companies require full-time on-site work. Instead, the majority (80%) offer hybrid or remote options.

These companies are roughly split between being fully flexible (39%), with no set on-site requirements, or having a structured hybrid model (41%), requiring 2-3 set on-site days per week.

Hybrid and remote models are more common in FinTech companies and smaller firms, and prevalence varies based on location and industry sector. The survey shows flexible work is becoming the norm even in traditionally office-centered industries like finance.

(scoopforwork)

The expectation of employers should remain flexible about hybrid working

Based on the voting made by Financial Times, more than 70% of people expect employers should remain flexible about hybrid working.

(Source)

The expectation of the number of days worked on-site per week

Hybrid workers vary widely in how many days they typically work from the office:

• one-third are on-site one day per week
• one-third are on-site two to three days per week
• one-third are on-site four days per week

Preferences for time spent on-site also widely vary with the nuance that very few want to work on-site four or more days per week:

• Only 12% of hybrid employees want to spend four or five days on-site in the typical week.
• Of the 88% of hybrid workers who prefer three days or fewer on-site, slightly more prefer two days on-site (29%) compared with one (19%) or three (22%) days on-site.

(Gallup)

Most Preferred Hybrid Schedule: Working On-Site Two Days Per Week

Fridays and Mondays are the least popular days to be on-site both in terms of voluntary attendance and employer-required days on-site.

• The daily mood shift from Sunday to Monday is the starkest in Gallup’s historical tracking. So it’s no surprise that Monday is a less popular day to be on-site than Tuesday through Thursday.
• In contrast, Fridays are decisively the most popular day to work from home so employees can focus on wrapping up their work assignments and quickly transition to their weekend plans.

Tuesday through Thursday are the days of the week hybrid employees work on-site most often and are also the days when on-site work is most likely to be required by employers.

(Gallup)

Percent of Engaged Workers by Number of Days On-Site

 Three of the most common hybrid policies are:

• 29% say their employer requires office attendance on specific days of the week (e.g., Tuesday through Thursday)
• 28% say their employer requires a minimum number of days on-site (e.g., one to four days per week), but doesn’t specify which days are required
• 43% say there are no universal on-site work requirements set by the employer

Employer requirements:

• 57% of hybrid employees say their employer sets office attendance rules — about half of those with attendance rules are required to be on-site a specific number of days and half are required to be on-site on specific days of the week (i.e., Tuesday through Thursday)
• 43% of employees report that their employer does not require a minimum number of days on-site

The most preferred and the most engaging policy:

• Many hybrid workers (60%) do not want their employer to set a universal scheduling policy.
• Employee engagement is highest among hybrid workers when their company does not require a certain number of days on-site.

(Gallup)

Benefits of working remotely

In 2022, the main benefit of remote work worldwide was the ability to have a flexible schedule with 67 percent of respondents naming it as the biggest benefit of working remotely. The flexibility to work from any location ranked second.

(statista)

Employee happiness and morale (60%) are cited as important benefits of remote work by managers, along with reduced commuting time and stress (54%), enhanced work-life balance (53%), increased productivity (35%), and an enlarged talent pool (30%).

(FlexOS)

Reasons People Seek Flexible Work 

Research by McKinsey & Co.

By McKinsey & Co. survey, 52% of people prefer a hybrid working model after the pandemic, while only 30% of people expect that pre-pandemic.

(McKinsey & Co.)

Research by FlexJobs

Also, an annual survey made by FlexJobs shows that 80% of employees prefer to work more flexibly, which will also increase their loyalty to the company because of remote working.

Work-life balance (75%):  
-They have more flexibility to take a better balance between their work and their lives; therefore, they can decide the spend more time enjoying their life. 
 
Family (45%): 
-They have more time to stay with their family members, even during working hours. 
 
Time savings (42%):  
-|They can save time for travel to the workspace and more time to rest. 
 
Commute stress (41%):   
–Remote work allows them to work on their own terms and out of the constant supervision of their supervisors, therefore they can work with much less stress.

(FlexJobs)

Research by Ergotron

One thousand full-time employees were sampled for Ergotron research. It was discovered that the hybrid workplace model has given employees the power to recover their physical health, and they are also experiencing benefits for their mental health as workers become more accustomed to hybrid and remote office environments since the start of Covid-19.

Overall, 56% of workers mentioned increased physical exercise, better work-life balance, and improved mental health.

“Promoting health and wellness among employees can improve well-being and productivity,” said Chad Severson, CEO of Ergotron.

“Over the past two years, employees have adapted to the hybrid and remote work landscape—and they now prefer it. As employers look to attract and retain talent, focusing on practices that promote well-being and help employees thrive wherever they work will be critical.”

• Job Satisfaction. It’s crucial to keep practicing flexibility. The majority of workers (88%) concur that having the option to work from home or the office has improved their level of job satisfaction.
• Physical health. The hybrid workplace has given workers the power to regain their physical well-being. 75% of respondents said that when they work remotely, they move about more and engage in more active work.
• Work-life balance. According to 75% of respondents, remote or hybrid working has improved their work-life balance.
  
  Even though some employees are spending more time at work, they claim that a better work-life balance has a favorable impact on their ability to balance work with other facets of their lives.
• Comfortable work environments. Improved workspaces with ergonomic furniture are crucial and boost corporate culture, according to 62% of the workers questioned.

(Ergotron)

Current and Anticipated Employee Work Locations for Remote-Capable Jobs

Prior to the pandemic, just 8% of remote-capable employees worked entirely from home, with around one-third having a mixed work arrangement.

Then the epidemic struck, forcing the great majority of remote-capable individuals to work from home in some form – as many as 70% worked entirely from home in May 2020.

Time travel to February 2022. Most remote-capable employees continued to work from home at least part of the time, but the divide remained virtually even: 42% maintained a hybrid schedule, and 39% worked totally from home.

(Gallup)

Estimated Remote Workforce by Industry

According to survey respondents, the average percentage of employees working remotely prior to COVID was only 16%.

Since then, that number has increased to 65%, with the majority of workers in the professional services (89%), information technology (88%), and financial services and insurance (74%) sectors working from their dining tables.

(greatplacetowork)

Percentage of people in America who work remotely full time

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly six-in-ten (59%) of U.S. workers say their jobs can primarily be done from home work from home all or most of the time. According to a new Pew Research Center survey, the vast majority of these workers (83%) were working from home before the omicron variant spread in the United States.

(pewresearch)

Percentage of U.S. work teams/departments that plan to work remotely in 5 years with comparison to pre-pandemic

“More than 20% of the workforce could work remotely three to five days a week as effectively as they could if working from an office. If remote work took hold at that level, that would mean 3 to 4 times as many people working from home than pre-pandemic and a profound impact on urban economies, transportation and consumer spending, among other things.” — “What’s Next for Remote Work”, McKinsey & Company, November 23, 2020

(weforum)

Frequency of working from home before the coronavirus pandemic in APAC

In a survey conducted in October 2020, prior to the implementation of remote work due to the coronavirus pandemic, 36% of respondents from the Asia-Pacific area claimed to work from home at least once each week.

(Statists)

WFH Frequency – Before and Post COVID-19

In the Stantec survey, 90% of respondents said they work from home more than four days each week. Before any North American government issued orders to stay at home, Stantec required remote work for all of its employees.

In a week, more than 19,000 workers had to switch to remote work in order to protect our staff and stop the virus’ spread.

The fact that more people are choosing to continue working from home after the epidemic may not come as a surprise to you. The typical respondent may work from home an extra day per week compared to their pre-COVID-19 habit, based on the self-reported frequencies in our survey.

(Stantec)

Remote Work Saves Commuting Time

Americans who are working from home have reclaimed 60 million hours, e.g. around 68,447 years, which means each American can saves 1.8 hours per day that used to spend commuting to an office each day.

They’re now using that time to get more sleep instead.

(Bloomberg)

Hybrid Workers Will Change Jobs for Flexibility, but Won’t Give Up Salary

Remote flexibility has become the norm. Remote-capable employees are willing to change jobs for it, but they are unwilling to give up more money in exchange.

More than 56% of remote capable employees will not give up any percentage of their salary for work location flexibility.

(Gallup)

Remote Teams Are More Engaged Than Office Workers

Remote workers consistently meet and exceed objectives, identify new processes, and contribute to company culture in the same way that anyone in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting does. In fact, they tend to achieve more.

According to a Stanford University two-year research, remote employees are, on average,

• 13.5% more productive than their office-based counterparts.
• 9% more engaged in their jobs.
• 50% less likely to quit.  

People movement

People movement in the U.S.

Some people have left city centers (e.g. NY and SF) from Feb 2022-Jul 2021.

(Standford)

Global workers’ mindset concerning hybrid work 2021, by category

In 2021, 42 percent of workers expect to thrive in hybrid employment. This demonstrates that over half of the worldwide workforce has an optimistic outlook on the future of work. Notably, 31% of respondents report feeling dissatisfied in this situation. (Statista)

Different generations’ expectations of hybrid working

It may be challenging to find a hybrid model that works for all generations: Three-quarters of Gen Zers (74%) desire more face-to-face collaboration chances, compared to 66% of Gen Xers and 66% of Baby Boomers. (Intuition)

High-growth businesses plan on hybrid working

63% of high-growth businesses use hybrid work models. (Intuition)

The percentage of people who plan to work from home

One survey found that 92 percent of those asked to plan to work from home at least once a week, and 80 percent expect to work from home at least three times a week. (Intuition)

The percentage of the programmer who is practicing hybrid working

85% of developers say their organizations are at least partially remote. (42.98% fully remote, 42.44% hybrid working)

Smaller organizations are most likely to be in-person, with 20% of 2-19 employee organizations in-person.

(StackOverflow)

The percentage of programmers who expects hybrid working after the pandemic

47.6% of developers said they expect to work in a hybrid model after the pandemic, while 38.8% said they expect to do fully remote work.

(StackOverflow)

Main challenges in working a mix of remote and in-person worldwide

In 2022, 43 percent of remote employees reported that the most difficult aspect of working remotely and in person was not feeling involved in meetings. (Statista)

For remote leaders’ largest remote work challenges, they answered distractions at home (46%), a lack of face-to-face interactions (37%), and technological or connectivity issues (33%.)

(FlexOS)

Favorite hybrid arrangement

Four out of ten employees say they want complete autonomy to come and go as they choose, while six out of ten want more structure.

There is even less agreement among those six in ten on how to synchronize in-person and remote schedules, with less than a third agreeing on how to define hybrid for their business.

Employee preferences and the appropriateness of hybrid work schedules vary greatly depending on the organization, team, role, and individual. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. What matters is that leaders assess which kind of guidelines work best for their team, given the sort of work they perform, the level of assistance required, and the team culture.

(Gallup)

Number of days per week they come to the office

Four out of every ten employees want to work two to three days each week, although this is far from the majority. Another three out of ten employees would like to spend one or two days per week in the office.

On the plus side, most employees think that spending a reasonable amount of time at work is crucial, and Gallup’s research has consistently shown that work flexibility is optimum for engaging employees and preventing burnout – both before and after the epidemic.

Nonetheless, as organizations shift and adjust to hybrid work, employees’ preferences for office hours will be a crucial measure to monitor.

(Gallup)

Suburban commuters’ transit behavior

People who reside in suburbs and commute to cities experience the highest decline in transit trips (-24%). Consequently, it is likely that respondents who have lengthier transit commutes and other local transportation options will reduce their use of public transportation the most.

People who live in suburbs and work in cities were shown to have the largest increase in working from home (an increase of 3.7 days per month per person). It appears that working from home could replace longer commutes.

According to what we overheard, respondents who reside and work in suburban areas had the least amount of change in all behavioral categories.

This means that metropolitan regions and areas nearby are where most long-term change is expected to take place.

(stantec)

Statistics for Business Leaders

Hybrid work policy decision-makers and their impact on employee engagement

Required attendance policies for hybrid workers are decided by:

• top leadership of the organization (26%)
• team managers (24%)
• work teams (13%)
• entirely on my own (37%)

The most engaging approach is the least common:

• An astounding 46% of hybrid employees are engaged at work when their team determines their hybrid work policy — despite only 13% of employees saying their team does this.
• Employee input is notoriously effective, from collaborative goal setting to innovation — and now in determining hybrid work schedules.
• The practice of asking team members to collaboratively craft their hybrid work policy is one of the most engaging single work practices Gallup has studied among employees who are returning to the office.

(Gallup)

Lots of executives believe flexible working options motivate employees

Sixty-four percent of CEOs feel that flexible work arrangements stimulate their personnel.

Flexibility and technology in the workplace are important priorities. To improve the workplace, most are considering the usage of health and wellness management applications as well as other hybrid work technologies such as digital and virtual collaboration resources.

For example, 44% of company leaders have activated or are about to activate the metaverse for social interaction, training, and/or recruiting purposes, and 62% have activated or are about to activate health and safety innovations and monitoring, such as indoor air quality, touchless offices, and so on.

(EY)

Women leaders expect more flexibility

49% of women leaders say flexibility is one of the top three things they consider when deciding whether to join or stay with a company, compared to 34% of men leaders.

Women leaders are more than 1.5x as likely as men at their level to have left a previous job because they wanted to work for a company that was more committed to DEI.

(McKinsey and LeanIn)

Additional technological transformation due to pandemic

Based on Fortune surveying CEOs of the Fortune 500, the pandemic crisis, according to 75% of respondents, will push their companies’ technology transformations forward more quickly.

(Fortune)

Top challenges executives expect to navigate

Executives are prepared for a range of employee reluctances. Top worries include worries about health and safety (40%), caregiving responsibilities (38%), and taking public transportation (20%).

(greatplacetowork)

CEO expectation on the percentage of workforce return office

Based on Fortune surveying CEOS of the 2020 fortune 500 list, 26.2 % of CEO expect the percentage of their workforce that return to their usual workplace will never reach back to 90%.

(Fortune)

CEO expectation for the benefits of return office

Collaboration (45%) and camaraderie and morale (61%) are the top two ways executives anticipate that going back to work would enhance corporate culture.

(greatplacetowork)

Workers’ willingness to pursue a hybrid working paradigm is higher among C-suite others than among employees in the United States in 2021

Office occupations have become more flexible since the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Working from home has been the norm for many, yet office spaces continue to be popular.

Employees who operate in a hybrid mode might divide their time between the workplace, home, and other locations. According to a 2021 study of 1,000 office employees and 1,000 C-suite employees in the United States, the clear majority of respondents support the hybrid approach.

Meanwhile, a larger proportion (79 percent) of C-suite personnel planned to implement the hybrid approach. According to the same study, over half of respondents would prefer to spend two to four days at work.

(Statista)

C-suite executives plan on hybrid working

In the post-pandemic future of work, nine out of ten organizations will be combining remote and on-site working.

(McKinsey – From December 2020 through January 2021, McKinsey surveyed and analyzed responses from 100 respondents at the C-suite, vice-president, and director level, evenly split among organizations based in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States, and among a variety of industries. Company revenues ranged, on average, from $5.1 billion to $11.0 billion per year.)

C-suite executives’ expectations of hybrid working

The majority of CEOs anticipate that employees will be on-site between 21 and 80 percent of the time, or one to four days a week (for all roles that are not required to be performed on-site). (McKinsey)

Plan of fully remote work vs support hybrid work model

According to a recent survey, just 5% of employers see entirely remote work as a possibility in the future, while 51% prefer the mixed work style. (Intuition)

Pay adjustment for hybrid work model

Over 97 percent of firms said they will not lower compensation for workers who work from home in part. However, 21% would modify pay based on an employee’s contribution and physical location. (Intuition)

Plan to adjust investment levels in the hybrid work model

According to a recent poll, 72 percent of respondents in the United States want to invest in virtual collaboration technologies in the future to support their mixed workforce. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Miro are examples of virtual collaboration software. These tools enable remote employees to stay connected while working from multiple places.

(Statista)

Learning Statistics in a Hybrid World

Advice offered to those selecting a remote work location

Setting limits is the most essential objective for 25% of respondents in a recent study, more than any other conceivable response. This is especially important as burnouts become more common, and balancing private and professional lives is a method to sustain mental health and productivity.

(Statista)

Acquired technologies to safeguard work communications when working from home in 2021

In 2021, 34% of Android and IOS users reported purchasing a WiFi router to safeguard work communications while working from home during the pandemic. Virtual private networks came in second. Mobile applications and mobile device management software are two more technologies utilized for this purpose.

(Statista)

The willingness to Online Learning

57 percent of today’s learning and development professionals anticipate increasing their spending on online learning in the near future.
In a hybrid environment, online learning is frequently given via mobile, with 70 percent of modern-day firms delivering courses via this media.

(Intuition)

Health and Wellness Statistics

One thousand full-time employees were sampled for Ergotron research. It was discovered that the hybrid workplace model has given employees the power to recover their physical health, and they are also experiencing benefits for their mental health as workers become more accustomed to hybrid and remote office environments since the start of Covid-19.

Overall, 56% of workers mentioned increased physical exercise, better work-life balance, and improved mental health.

(Ergotron)

Work-life balance 

During the pandemic, 20% of worldwide employees asked stated their supervisor had ceased caring about their work-life balance, leaving 54 percent overworked and 39 percent absolutely fatigued.

(Intuition)

Productivity

As the hybrid workplace emerges, 40% of individuals feel they can be productive and healthy from anywhere – whether entirely remote, onsite, or a mix of the two.

(Intuition)

Remote employees worked 1.4 more days per month, or 16.8 more days per year, on average than those who worked in an office. And they spent more time getting things done on those workdays.

While office workers reported losing an average of 37 minutes per workday to distractions (excluding lunch and standard breaks), remote employees only lost 27 minutes per workday. While remote workers did take more official breaks than office workers, evidence shows that taking breaks leads to higher rates of productivity.

There were only minor differences in the ability to concentrate or focus in and out of the office: 8% of remote workers reported difficulty focusing, compared to 6% of office workers.

Micromanagement, on the other hand, had a significant impact. When employees’ screen and/or mouse time was tracked, 39% of remote employees and 56% of office employees found ways to avoid working. They didn’t always get away with it: 51% of remote employees and 44% of office employees were caught.

(Airtasker)

On the other hand, 66% of managers reported greater productivity, with 48.5% reporting that productivity has ‘significantly improved.’ Only 2% experienced a decline in productivity.

Managers said that their personal productivity has increased (38%) but not reduced (96%).

(FlexOS)

Mental health support

Employee burnout is now a serious problem, with 75% of workers in recent research wishing their workplace provided some type of mental health assistance.

(Intuition)

Feared being surveilled

According to a Capgemini analysis on the future of remote working, around 66 percent of employees in the United States worried about being surveilled by the use of technology when remote working in 2020, which is higher than the global average of 59 percent.

(Capgemini)

Struggles with working remotely

In 2022, 25% of respondents stated that the most difficult aspect of working remotely was not being able to unplug. Because many individuals who work from home do not have a distinct office, they have a conflation of their living environment and workplace. However, more than one-third of respondents said they had no difficulties working remotely.

As a result, remote working professionals underline the significance of developing techniques to balance their personal and professional life. On the other hand, employees report fewer challenges with teamwork and communication in 2021.

This is most likely owing to the rapid development of skills during the 2020 pandemic, which allows them to successfully communicate and interact with others while working from different locations.

(Statista)

Terms you should know

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

DEI stands for diversity, equity and inclusion.

As a discipline, DEI is any policy or practice designed to make people of various backgrounds feel welcome and ensure they have support to perform to the fullest of their abilities in the workplace. 

Diversity refers to the presence of differences within a given setting; in the workplace, that may mean differences in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, and socioeconomic background. 

Equity is the act of ensuring that processes and programs are impartial, fair and provide equal possible outcomes for every individual. 

Inclusion is the practice of making people feel a sense of belonging at work.

(builtin)

Digital nomad

A digital nomad is a person who has the freedom to work from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection and a laptop or mobile device.

Digital nomads leverage technology to create a location-independent lifestyle, allowing them to travel and work remotely. This lifestyle can involve working from home, coffee shops, co-working spaces, or even exotic locations abroad.

Digital nomads are often freelancers, entrepreneurs, or employees of companies that allow remote work. They may work in a variety of fields, such as writing, programming, design, or consulting.

The rise of digital nomadism has been facilitated by the increasing availability of digital tools that enable remote work, as well as the growing popularity of the gig economy.

Many people are drawn to the digital nomad lifestyle for its flexibility, adventure, and opportunities for personal growth. Digital nomads can experience different cultures, meet new people, and have unique experiences while maintaining their careers.

They also have the ability to work on their own terms, choose their own projects, and have more control over their work-life balance.

Further reading on Hybrid working

Treating Remote Employees Fairly in a Hybrid Workplace (by Toptal)

Learn more about productivity in the hybrid working era: https://ones.software/blog/?s=Productivity+

Develop your own hybrid office with our smart office system: https://ones.software/

The post Every C-Suite and Professional Should Know About Hybrid Working Stats in 2023 first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Sensors, electronic devices, and versatile applications help employees complete tedious tasks faster and better, giving them more time to do creative work in organizations. Smart office technology makes jobs more efficient and flexible with the help of network-based devices.

Cloud storage, schedule management, improved customer satisfaction, risk management, resource utilization, and high investment returns are just a few of the advantages of smart offices.

General Statistics

Smart Office Market Outlook

The global smart office market was valued at $31.37 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $90.63 billion by 2030, growing at an 11.1% CAGR between 2021 and 2030.

(alliedmarketresearch)

Smart Office Furniture Market

The smart office furniture market share is expected to increase by USD 85.11 million from 2021 to 2026, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 8.78%.

During the forecast period, North America will account for 47% of market growth. The smart office furniture market in North America is mostly concentrated in the US and Canada. The market in this region will expand more slowly than markets in other regions.

(technavio)

Lots of employers invest in hyperlocal offices to promote a return to the office

Since the pandemic, 64% have leased or are contemplating leasing suburban office space.

Employers have responded to the pandemic’s deurbanization of the workforce by investing in hyperlocal workplaces to encourage workers to return to the office. Employers think that the connection employees have within the actual workplace is worth the expenditure.

In addition to predictable flexibility, employers are investing in various routes to attract employees to come into the office, such as in-person activities (50%), offering lunches (45%), reimbursement for commuting costs (38%), and childcare assistance programs (33%).

(EY)

Segment Overview

Europe dominated the smart office market in 2020 and is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period, owing to the expansion of the retail and hospitality sectors. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a faster rate than Europe by the end of the forecast period.

Leading manufacturers in the smart office market, such as Honeywell International Inc., Cisco Systems, Inc., and Siemens AG, are focusing their investments on more technologically advanced, cost-effective, and secure products and solutions for various applications.

(alliedmarketresearch)

Top Impacting Factors

The increasing need for energy efficiency, as well as supporting industry standards and regulations, are major factors influencing the growth of the smart office market.

Furthermore, the smart office market is being driven by the growth of the IoT market and its applications. However, the high initial investment limits market growth. On the contrary, the evolving smart city market is expected to generate lucrative opportunities for the market.

(alliedmarketresearch)

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on the electronics and semiconductor industries. Due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, business and manufacturing units in various countries have been closed and are expected to remain closed in 2021.

Furthermore, the partial or total lockdown has disrupted the global supply chain, making it difficult for manufacturers to reach their customers.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a global impact on society and the economy. The impact of this outbreak is growing by the day and is affecting global business.

Manufacturing unit shutdowns in Asian and European countries have resulted in significant business and revenue losses. The outbreak of the COVID-19 disease has had a significant impact on the operations of the production and manufacturing industries, which has hampered market growth.

(alliedmarketresearch)

Technology helps

Using voice, video, and content sharing to communicate with distant parties, 74% of APAC respondents do so.

60% of APAC respondents said they would use collaboration technology if made available in small meeting rooms.

(Polycom)

Office Data Insights

The most useless thing in the post-pandemic office

What’s the most useless thing in the post-pandemic office?

Based on The Economist poll, 76% of respondents think that Landline desk phones are the most useless thing in the post-pandemic office, while only 10% of them think meeting rooms are useless.

(Source)

Cost of running an office space for 100 employees

 The cost of running an office space for 100 employees (totaling a complete office space of 20,000 sq. foot) in:

• New York could cost as much as $4 million annually,
• London, it could cost $3 million annually,
• San Francisco $2.8 million annually and,
• Madrid $1.5 million annually.

(ronspotflexwork)

In Singapore, the median rent for traditional office space in Singapore in the first three months of 2021 ranged between $2.51 and $7.95 per square foot per month, with a total of 665 leases signed, according to data made public by the authorities.

Accordingly, a typical office space of 20,000 square feet would cost between $60,2400 to $1.9 million per month.

(officefinder)

The ratio of office room to people

With no fixed seats (such as activity-based working or hot-desking) and 80–150 square feet allotted for each employee, high-density workplaces are typically flexible work environments.

Workplaces with an average staff density (150–250 square feet) typically have a standard office design with a mix of individual workstations and private offices.

The typical conference room-to-employee ratio in workplaces with higher densities is 1:10, whereas it is more like 1:20 in offices with dedicated workstations.

(iofficecorp)

Office Type: retrofit and new construction

The market has been divided into two categories: retrofit and new construction. By 2025, the retrofit segment is expected to generate the most revenue. The growing need for energy-saving technologies in retrofitted offices can be attributed to the segment’s growth.

Over the forecast period, the new construction segment is expected to grow significantly. Modifications or new system implementations may be limited in a retrofit office. However, new construction allows for greater flexibility in implementing new systems.

(grandviewresearch)

Average office occupancy

After two years of covid ance and mainly flat leasing, the worldwide office providers interviewed for the MatchOffice Industry Survey 2022 in May express their considerable optimism about the market future generally.

The respondents from North America had the highest expectations; of them, 46.6% think things will turn out well, and 39.1% are excited about the outlook for the office rental market after the pandemic.

Comparatively, the figures for European providers reveal 41.2% and 35.1%, while 32.8% and 31.7%, respectively, are slightly below projections for Asian providers.

In Sweden (72.1% and 17.5%), Germany (65.2% and 21.1%), the Netherlands (77.3% and 10.1%), and Denmark (45.9 and 33.4%), office landlords in Europe are currently quite optimistic about the market.

( MatchOffice Industry Survey )

The pandemic had a severe impact on U.S. commercial real estate (CRE), with vacancy rates skyrocketing in all key sectors, including multifamily, industrial, retail, and office, in the early stages of the health catastrophe.

Rent and price rises were also hampered by deteriorating fundamentals. These pressures, however, were short-lived for the industrial and multifamily sectors, as they saw their vacancy rates reverse course and drop to far lower levels than they were before the epidemic.

On June 22, the commercial vacancy rates are mostly below the pre-pandemic level, except for the office sector.

(economics.td.com)

Office occupancy compared to last year

More than 45% of respondents report their office occupancy is higher than last year (2021). 23.1% of them had the same occupancy in 2021.

( MatchOffice Industry Survey )

U.S Office Vacancy Rate

Due to a significant shift in the labor force toward remote work during the pandemic, office foot traffic was significantly reduced.

Although wealthy tech behemoths expressed interest in prime office spaces, the epidemic significantly curbed most firms’ desire to sign new office contracts. Two years into the pandemic, the office sector’s vacancy rate has moved sideways after peaking at 12% in mid-2021, making little improvement.

(economics.td.com)

Readiness of cutting office space

Firms are currently not planning to cut office space too much.

In the US, the impact of COVID only reduced 1% of office space, while 10% of office space has been diminished in the UK.

(Stanford)

Meeting room demands

According to new data from Coworker.com, global meeting room demand within flexible office spaces is up 73% from 2020. 

(Coworker.com)

A survey by Randstad US and Future Workplace found that 80 percent of workers say virtual communication has made them more reactive than strategic in their daily work.

Especially for new employees, pointed out that they need a face-to-face conversation with an experienced in a meeting room to have an immediate solution to their problems. 

(Randstad)

Conferences Insights

The average number of video conferences 

Most video conferences occur in the marketing and advertising industry, where each worker attends 20.9 sessions on average per month.

Followed by businesses in the travel sector, which hold an average of 11.1 meetings every month. Tech firms, with an average of 10.5 meetings each month, are in third place.

In general, businesses tended to follow the same pattern: a rapid increase following the epidemic, followed by a gradual decline, maybe as they started relying more on asynchronous communication to counteract the tiredness caused by video conferencing.

Companies in the top end of the mid-market segment with 751 to 1,000 employees saw a more consistent downward trend with fewer rises.

In a similar vein, enterprise enterprises with 1,001 to 10,000 employees initially increased before declining in the Fall of 2020 and then peaking once more in March of 2021.

Larger businesses employing more than 10,000 workers experienced a delayed increase, which peaked in May 2021:

(dialpad)

Time spent in video conferences

Video conferencing is used by 46.15% of respondents for less than four hours per week, and by 36.98% for four to twelve hours.

According to this, 83.13% of people attend meetings for no more than 12 hours every week. The 4.73% who spend more than half their week working, on the other hand.

(dialpad)

Number of Meetings vs. Number of Attendees

The information we gathered indicates that gatherings are smaller than you might anticipate.

Meeting rooms were frequently only used by one person in the roughly 6,000 meetings that “Density’s Mid-Year 2019 Workplace Utilization Index” examined during the busiest times of the day.

(Density)

Usage By Meeting Group Size

The report “Density’s Mid-Year 2019 Workplace Utilization Index” exemplifies the significance of monitoring space consumption as a way to enhance meeting room allocation. The research reveals inconsistencies between meeting rooms’ actual usage and their design:

• Meetings with two to four participants made up about 40% of all meetings.
• Only 6% of meetings had more than 10 participants, while 85% of meetings had less than seven attendees.
• Even the largest gatherings rarely occupied more than 45% of the available space.

(Density)

Cost of Meetings

An hour-long discussion with five participants (ranging in rank from specialist to director) costs $338 USD in salaries.
All of those video calls cost money as well. The time lost on useless ones will still cost each employee $1,250 every month.

(booqed)

Methods to Connect

Despite technology’s dominance, physical connection still has value, especially now that face-to-face interactions are limited because of the pandemic. Face-to-face meetings are preferred above alternative formats by 76% of professionals.

They believe that critical decisions are simpler to make. They also concurred that meeting in person improves their comprehension of the recipient party.

• Conferencing is preferred by 7%.
• 5% favor video calls.
• 4% favor email/instant messaging.

(Doddle)

Meeting Room Insights

Time wasted when finding rooms

40% of employees say that they waste half an hour per day looking for meeting spaces.

(WSJ)

Meeting room utilization

Although 53% of conference room space is designed for groups of seven or more, 73% of meetings only involve two to four persons.

(WSJ)

Unused Space in Meeting Rooms

Based on the report “Density’s Mid-Year 2019 Workplace Utilization Index“, small rooms (2-4 people) are seldom wasted by people, while over half of the extra large rooms (13+ people) have been wasted.

(Density)

Exceed Capacity and Wasted Space

According to the research in “Density’s Mid-Year 2019 Workplace Utilization Index“, the largest meeting rooms might be cut in half and still accommodate the daily needs of the workforce.

This translates to an annual waste of space costing close to $1.4 million across 100 rooms with 400 square feet each built for 20 people.

An additional $2.8 million may have been saved during the first fit-out.

Over the course of six months, the combined capacity of large and extra-large conference rooms was exceeded 24 times, each time for just over 30 minutes. Or, to put it another way, for a total of 14 hours over the course of six months, these rooms were crowded. These are mainly used for a board meeting or training sessions.

Density suggested that it’s possible that extra-large meeting rooms go unused. However, you truly need them when you need them. Take into account tightening schedules and condensing down to a minimal number of extra-large places.

(Density)

Guidance for sizing spaces

According to the research in “Density’s Mid-Year 2019 Workplace Utilization Index“, despite being intended to accommodate much more people, the data clearly demonstrates that conference rooms were frequently only used by one person. In contrast, meetings with more than 10 participants were rarely held in spaces designed for that many people.

Density has suggested some clear guidance for sizing spaces to achieve higher workplace utilization if you have 10 meeting rooms for people based on the data:

• 3 quiet areas or phone booths for 1 person;
• 4 meeting rooms for 2 to 4 people;
• 1 meeting room for 5 to 6 people; and
• 2 flexible 20-person rooms that can be converted into 2 rooms for up to 10 people each.

(Density)

Regional Insights

General CAGR

Because of its large customer base and well-established manufacturers, the North American region is expected to dominate the market over the next eight years. The region generated the most revenue in 2016, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 10% between 2017 and 2025.

Because of the presence of growing economies such as China and India, the Asia Pacific region is expected to see a significant shift in its growth, with a CAGR of more than 19% from 2016 to 2023.

Growth in the service sector in these economies is expected to lead to an increase in the number of offices in the region, necessitating the establishment of smart offices from 2016 to 2023.

Over the forecast period, the South American market is also expected to grow significantly. Various factors, such as increased Internet and wireless network penetration, are expected to drive the regional market for smart offices.

(grandviewresearch)

Asia Pacific (APAC) region

The Asia Pacific (APAC) region will have the highest CAGR in the smart office market.

During the forecast period, the APAC market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR. The adoption of energy management solutions to reduce associated costs, as well as the implementation of security and lighting management solutions in workplaces, are driving the growth of the APAC smart office market.

(marketsandmarkets)

Product Insights

10+ Smart Office Options to create the best workplace experience

After the pandemic, there has been a significant amount of change, much of it negative, but there have also been some positive changes, particularly in the office area.

With the advent of the smart workplace and all its advantages, the dullness of the conventional, drab office is finally being challenged.

1. Hot desks
2. Conference/ Meeting Rooms
3. Internet of Things (IoT) solutions
4. Visitor management system
5. Modern video monitoring
6. Smart climate and lighting control
7. Cloud-based smart office system
8. Gamification
9. Indoor 3D maps
10. Voice Control
11. Cybersecurity

The market for new construction offices to grow with the highest CAGR 

Between 2017 and 2023, the new construction office type is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR. New construction offices offer the advantage of designing and implementing smart office solutions early in the construction process, resulting in lower operational costs and more efficient use of available resources.

(marketsandmarkets)

Opportunity in evolving cloud-based environment of IoT platforms

IoT is a technology that stores, manages, and analyzes data in real time. Cloud platforms provide a cost-effective and easily deployable alternative to building on-premises data centers.

While IoT is all about connected devices that generate a large amount of data, cloud platforms allow analytics to extract value from that data. Cloud computing technologies enable smart office solution providers to connect workplace management systems installed in the control center to IoT-enabled devices. This capability will enable end users to quickly and affordably build an IoT-based sense and response system.

The cloud platform is a secure platform for the storage and computation of large amounts of data. Furthermore, the cloud can provide a unified platform for managing the service life cycle and organizing deployment.

The emergence of IoT Platform as a Service (PaaS) has increased the deployment opportunities for IoT solutions across the workplace infrastructure.

The cloud platform can aid in the deployment of various applications that offer workplace management authorities new methods of connecting traditional information systems to IoT-enabled devices.

(marketsandmarkets)

Definition

Space occupancy

occupied square footage/total workspace square footage = space occupancy rate

Simply divide the occupied floor space by the total floor space to determine the space occupancy rate (this means excluding restrooms, pantries, and other non-workable areas, but includes meeting rooms).

Space utilization

occupancy/ capacity = space utilization rate

Space utilization is your building’s occupancy divided by its capacity. It is seen by how frequently workers use a specific area.

Utilization can be both a static and a dynamic metric. For instance, you may assess how well a room is being used right now or over the course of a few days, weeks, months, or even hours.

The post Smart office statistics & trends you must know in 2023 and onwards first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Many Indonesian companies have developed appropriate work guidelines for each employee to implement hybrid work. This is because entrepreneurs believe that a hybrid approach to work can have many positive effects on employee performance and well-being.  

This article will show what business leaders must recognize how, when, and where we work are no longer constrained by traditional notions of time and space in this new hybrid working era. 

What is Hybrid work? 

Hybrid work is an approach that takes into account the individual’s needs, whether they’re at home or at the office. Our platform enables people to work from any location, and move between sites as needed. 

Many organizations see hybrid work as the evolution of remote working, allowing employers to better integrate remote working into overall business processes while providing comparable work experience for remote workers. 

In addition, the Indonesian government may further implement a “work anywhere” (WFA) policy for its employees to support hybrid work. 

What is Work From Anywhere (WFA)?  

The Indonesian government is planning to implement a more flexible work system for civil servants, allowing them to work anywhere in the future, the new approach is named as Work From Anywhere (WFA). 

WFA is not required employees to work in a specific location, such as a home or office, and they don’t have mandatory office hours. This means that employees have flexible work locations and flexible working hours. 

Work From Anywhere in Indonesia

Ministries and government agencies are developing new frameworks to accommodate this new policy. Although the program is still in its preliminary stages and the Indonesian public authorities have not yet announced whether they will allow employees to work outside of the country, there still most employees prefer hybrid work. 

However, there are some jobs that are not suitable for hybrid work, for example, medical staff or firefighters as they cannot be able to work anywhere.

The application of WFA was intended to increase the effectiveness of ASN performance and provide efficiency to government bureaucracy…The important thing is that performance and targets are achieved,

Satya Pratama, the Head of the Legal, Public Relations, and Cooperation Bureau of the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.

Hybrid work is preferred across ASEAN markets

The Cisco study highlighted that hybrid work is now preferred by many employees across ASEAN markets:

• Indonesia – 84%
• Singapore – 71%
• Malaysia – 74%
• Vietnam – 76%
• Thailand – 69%
• The Philippines – 60%

The support for hybrid work extends beyond employees as well — with 90% of employees saying their employers have been supportive of hybrid working. In particular, 46% said their employers have been supportive, while 44% said their employers have been very supportive.

(Cisco)

Why do Indonesians prefer hybrid work? 

Microsoft’s report, “Great Expectations: Making Hybrid Work Work ” shows that as many as 48 percent of employees in Indonesia say they prefer to prioritize health and well-being over work.  

As hybrid work allows the employees to work everywhere and work in a flexible work period, this gives them more flexibility to make them balance life and work.  

Why should take care of Indonesian employees’ needs?  

Wahjudi Purnama, Modern Work & Security Business Group Lead of Microsoft Indonesia, pointed out that the challenge for every organization is to be able to meet the expectations of its employees, otherwise, 66% of workers in Indonesia would quit their jobs and more likely to consider switching to remote or hybrid work systems. 

Hybrid work improves employees’ performance 

According to the Cisco report, hybrid work has been able to improve the quality of work of employees in Indonesia by up to 56.4%, and employee productivity also increased by 53.4%. 

Furthermore, the hybrid work method increases the knowledge and work skills of employees by 58.7%. Meanwhile, employee relations and attitudes at work increased 46.8% with the hybrid work method. 

Hybrid work improves employees’ welfare

In the Microsoft study, 62.5% of respondents admitted that adopting a hybrid work approach had improved their well-being. 

More importantly, as many as 87% of respondents are able to save money by working with a hybrid work style because they do not have to go back to the office as often. Even 92% of respondents admit that the hybrid work approach has allowed them to spend more time with their families, improving their relationships with them. 

Then, 85 percent of respondents said the hybrid approach made them happier and motivated them to take on their work roles. There are 64% of respondents felt that the hybrid work approach had a positive impact on their physical health. 

Why employers would like to implement hybrid work? 

Satya Pratama, head of public relations at the Indonesian National Civil Service Agency, says the flexible working program is designed to improve performance and job satisfaction.  

In fact, at least a dozen companies in Indonesia, mainly start-ups, have already adopted at least part of this WFA approach. They all report that hybrid work has many benefits for them. 

Increases the production growth rate of companies   

A survey from the famous consulting firm Accenture found that 83% of workers in Indonesia prefer a hybrid model for work. It also found that over 67% of companies have high business growth after switching to a work-from-anywhere model.  

Meanwhile, the majority of companies remain focused on where people are going to work physically, and they are ‘no-growth’ in their businesses.  

Reduce business operating costs 

Some data suggests that only about 48.9% of startups will survive in 2021. According to data published by the Indonesian Venture Capital Association (Amvesindo) on the IDX channel, up to 10-15% of startups may also face closure due to a lack of competition. 

The Co-Office is a shared office that supports WFA and offers a variety of flexible working facilities (such as desk rotation), lounge areas, and silent cubicles, in addition to any traditional office.

The use of rotating desks reduces the cost of purchasing fixed desks and reduces the need for startups and SMEs to have huge space requirements and pay high rents. 

Increase employees’ emotional and mental well-being 

Based on Cisco’s report, 60.8% say hybrid working makes their stress levels have decreased because a hybrid workplace provides a work environment less pressurized (26.5%) and greater flexibility (25.7%) to them. 

If employees work happier, this can help them to more engage with their work, and then the quality of work would be increased. Moreover, they would not like to resign from their jobs. So, hybrid work also helps companies to retain talent. 

That’s why entrepreneurs believe that a hybrid approach to work can have many positive effects on employee performance and well-being.   

Who has implemented hybrid work in Indonesia? 

Just in Jakarta, there are already 3,964 companies have implemented the WFH policy. Here are some examples of these companies: 

Amar Bank: It is one of the companies that can be said to be the first of companies in implementing WFA. They have a complete hybrid work system to improve the quality of work and employee welfare. 

Blibli: It is a well-known Indonesian e-commerce company that focuses on building good business ecosystems for consumers and organizations. They noticed an increase in productivity after most of their employees worked from home.   

Efishery: It is a company engaged in aquaculture, and they found that hybrid work actually increased the company’s productivity. Therefore, they decided to go to WFA forever.   

Microsoft Indonesia: They have developed different flexible working arrangements for their employees, such as offering virtual meditation sessions and set break time after meetings, to ensure that employees can continue to provide high productivity. 

More companies support hybrid work:10 companies that implemented hybrid working in Indonesia – ONEs Blog 

Challenges to implementing hybrid work 

Currently rebuilding social capital also looks different in the hybrid world. Wahjudi noted that as many as 49% of Indonesian leaders say that relationship building is the biggest challenge in the hybrid work era. 

Furthermore, Microsoft’s survey also found that corporate leaders need to make the office feel worth commuting. Because, as many as 41 percent of hybrid employees in Indonesia said their biggest challenge was knowing when and why they had to come to the office. 

On the other hand, only 40 percent of leaders have made a team agreement to define these new norms. 

Some companies still not prepared for hybrid work due to misunderstanding

Based on Cisco’s survey, only 25% of employees feel their employer is ‘very prepared’ for a hybrid working future. 

Actually, nearly 72% believe their manager trusts them to be productive when working remotely and over 60% believe their colleagues can be trusted to work remotely. 

General hybrid working data 

Opinions for networking Infrastructure  

67% say suffering connectivity issues on a regular basis is career-limiting for remote workers. 

72.1% say their company currently has the right networking infrastructure. 

93.2% say networking Infrastructure is essential for seamless working-from-home experiences. 

(Cisco) 

Opinions for cybersecurity  

85.9% feel cybersecurity is critical for making hybrid working safe. 

72.5% think business leaders are familiar with the cyber risks of hybrid work. 

69.3% believe their organization currently has the right capabilities and protocols in place. 

65.9% think employees in their company understand the cyber risk. 

(Cisco) 

Less commuting expenses and allowances 

86.5% of employees say they saved money in the past 12 months; the average is US$112 a week / US$5,824 a year.

In the same meaning, hybrid work helps their average income increase by 13.3%. Therefore, employers can save lots of travel allowances for their staff. 

(Cisco) 

Employees prefer to work virtually 

In Indonesia, 62% of employees are willing to use digital immersive spaces for meetings, up from 52% globally. 

Leaders consider redesigning their workplace 

54% of leaders are currently redesigning meeting spaces for hybrid work, or plan to in the year ahead.  

 (Microsoft) 

Hybrid work helps to build a new meeting etiquette 

Despite 43% of remote employees and 44% of hybrid employees saying they do not feel included in meetings, just 27% of organizations have established new hybrid work meeting etiquette. 

(Microsoft) 

Gen Z and Millennials seeking for flexible work 

53% of Gen Z and Millennials in Indonesia are likely to consider changing jobs if cannot work flexibly this year. 

(Microsoft) 

Directors are planning to change the work style of their companies 

60 percent of leaders in Indonesia say their companies plan to return to full office work next year, higher than the global figure of 50 percent.

However, 66 percent of workers in Indonesia are more likely to consider switching to remote or hybrid work.

More information for hybrid working 

Stanford economist explains why need hybrid work: Stanford economist tells what can be learned from the winners of hybrid plans – ONEs Blog 

How to optimize your hybrid workplace for 2023: Optimize your hybrid workplace for 2023 – ONEs Blog 

What equipment do hybrid workers need in 2023?: What equipment do hybrid workers need in 2023? – ONEs Blog 

ONES is one of the famous all-in-one smart office systems that can help you to easily implement hybrid working at ease.  You can easily perform virtual meetings, desk hoteling, and digital office management with our Room Booking, Desk Booking, and Visitor Management features.     

Feel free to contact us for more detail to implement your hybrid office!  

Contact us: hello@ones.software, or visit ONES Software official website for more information: https://ones.software/id.   

The post Hybrid work trends in Indonesia a business leader needs to know in 2023 and onward  first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Meta’s hybrid working arrangement

Meta has given its employees a wide degree of flexibility to determine how they work. It has offered most employees the option to do their jobs remotely full-time or to select a mix of in-office and homework. 

Although Meta also plans to open new offices in some locations, Bloomberg reported earlier that Meta will exercise its option to terminate its lease in that area. 

The vice president of global facilities and real estate at Meta, John Ternanes said that while reviewing Meta’s office space, he discovered that some of the existing office leases were about to expire.

He is planning to combine the floors of several existing buildings into one floor after the leases expire and allow employees to continue to work remotely. 

Why does Meta seek hybrid work?

Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has decided to take a number of steps, such as implementing a hiring freeze, to reduce the company’s costs, and informing employees at an all-staff meeting last Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter. 

“One of our jobs is to recalibrate our space,” Tenanes said. 

Nationally, the average office occupancy in 10 major U.S. cities has recently hit pandemic-era highs but remains below 50%, according to data from security provider Kastle Systems. 

“At the end of June, Meta had 83,553 employees, but Meta’s offices are now less than 50 percent full”, Ternanes said.  

“Before the pandemic, the company’s offices were about 75% occupied on any given today,”  Ternanes added. 

Office occupancy remains down across the company, therefore, adopting a hybrid office allows Meta to reduce its unnecessary workspace or redesign it into a more dynamic place.  

More details of the benefits of hybrid work:  A Full Guide to Hybrid Work: What is hybrid work model and why it is important? – ONEs Blog 

What is the requirement to implement hybrid work? 

To implement hybrid work, your hybrid office should work with a comprehensive office management system. It allows you to have flexibility at work, which means you can use any availed desk, room, and equipment in the office, and work at the location you wanted. 

ONES is one of the famous all-in-one smart office systems that can help you to easily implement hybrid working at ease. You can easily perform virtual meetings, desk-hoteling, and digital office management with our Room Booking, Desk Booking, and Visitor Management features.     

Contact us: hello@ones.software, or visit ONES Software official website for more information: https://ones.software/.    

The post Meta reduces its office space as its hybrid work transitions  first appeared on ONEs Blog.