A Meeting Room Booking System (MRBS) (房間管理系統) can help you to adopt a hybrid working style. Some studies have shown a 73% increase in the need for meeting rooms in hybrid office spaces.

Meeting rooms in flexible workspaces provide the ideal in-between office space, providing a solution that is both professional and casual enough to be used on an as-needed basis.

ONES – All-in-one smart office system

ONES offers functionality for bookings of a meeting room with office equipment and services and provides a 3D floorplan for a clear view of availability and reservations. We work with Microsoft Outlook for ease of room booking.  

The features of ONES: 

1. Centralized and user-friendly platform: Providing an informative schedule calendar and an interactive 3D floor map, also suitable for mobile and desktop.   

2. Multi-channel for booking: Booking on mobile apps, web browsers, room display, floor display, kiosk, Microsoft Outlook, and Teams;  

3. Customizable policy: Provides room setting (capacity, amenity, location, service etc.) and the quota setting. Allow users to set the advanced permission to allow specific staff to use rooms;  

4. Centralized management: Managing from a room to multiple buildings on the same platform;  

5. No-show Auto-Release function (自動釋出房間功能): Automatically keep your rooms from being empty when the meeting is a “ghost meeting”;  

6. Customizable room service (自訂服務): Support your request for special room service before the meeting and notify related staff for the service support. 

Booking a room is now an enjoyable experience with our meeting room booking system. Moreover, we provide a visitor management system (訪客管理系統) and hot-desk booking service (辦公桌預約功能), ensuring your office easily adapts to a hybrid working style. 

ONELAN 

ONELAN uses Reserva system to improve workspace utilization and ROI. The features of ONELAN: 

1. Alert notification: notify managers of the status of equipment in the meeting room; 

2. Auto-Release Room: notification of meeting room usage time and automatic cancellation if late (instant booking for others);  

3. Room Display: Show all details and three colors show the room condition; 
    

ATEN 

ATEN RBS seamlessly integrates with leading calendar systems such as Microsoft 365 to automatically sync appointment information from the device to the mail server.  The features of ATEN: 

1. A customizable interactive interface: Customizable background, exclusive corporate logo, fashionable appearance, etc;  

2. Room Panel: Quick searching suitable rooms and show the details of rooms;  

3. Centralized management: Manage multiple meeting rooms, even across branch offices and overseas offices;  

4. Supported service: Software update service and support different kinds of language. 

ATEN also offers a variety of charging docking stations for your office. 

Ragic 
 

Ragic system can intergrade the data and help your company to build up a database. The features of Ragic:  

1. Free templates: Lots of management templates for you to download if you use them;  
2. Latest statistical technology: They have a unique way to build a database of rooms; 
3. Easy-to-use interface: Show the details clearly, ensure you are easy to view for management; 
4. Alert notification: notify managers or the staff about the latest changes in rooms. 

Ragic manages rooms with a proprietary Room Booking Management system. 
 

IMage UCMS 

 
IMage Room Booking Management System provides a full range of management mechanisms, making users feel like they have a full-time management assistant. The features of IMage: 

1. Easy management: Help you to arrange meetings, send meeting notices, connect to video conferences and sign up for meetings; 
2. Face Recognition: Protecting the use of the room from being used by others; 
3. Authority: Setting the advanced permission to allow specific staff to use rooms; 
4. Meeting Room List: Show the available rooms by room display.  

IMage UCMS focuses on room management and security. 

ONES Software now has a dedicated page to introduce a series of smart office measures to help you solve problems. You may wish to go to A Complete Guide for Room Booking System Now – ONES Blog for further reference. 

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

The post The Best 5 Taiwan Room Booking Systems In 2023 first appeared on ONEs Blog.

One of the features is the new co-working space uses flexible office amenities such as hot desking, a service that is a first-come, first-served desk reservation rotation.  

Features of the new MRT Singapore co-working space

The new co-working space, opened by Singaporean startup Staytion, is the company’s first workspace designed with a multi-concept lifestyle in mind.

This workspace has seating for 30 people. Apart from the hot desks mentioned above, there are also meeting tables and private cubicles for individuals to work or take calls from, as well as a coffee lounge area.

Staytion facilities are priced at a minimum of $4.90 per hour, with an all-day pass at $29 and a monthly pass at $299. To use the facilities in the workspace, such as the hot desk and meeting room, reservations are required through the digital platform.

The reason for creating this flexible workspace

“The co-working space is meant to cater to heart landers… At its core, Staytion aims to reinvent and transform the familiar MRT station environment into a more productive and innovative space near their homes productive and innovative space closer to home.”

Staytion chief executive Jane Toh said

According to Ms. Toh, working from home may not always be the most conducive for employees, and they may find it difficult to travel to the city to find a productive place to work. Therefore, creating newly designed workspaces near residential environments helps solve the problem that people need to work in an office.

In addition, Ms. Toh also said that most employers, employees, and industry leaders have expressed a need for workspace solutions near homes to reduce the allowances and daily expenses paid to the workers that every day needs to travel a far distance on commuting.

If the program works well, Staytion will open one more this workspace in the same city by the first quarter of 2023.

Hybrid workspace saves cost

Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower in Singapore, said “The pandemic has changed the way we work, with more and more workers and employers embracing the hybrid work environment.” 

He supports the co-working initiative and believes that the new workspace at the Marsiling MTR station will help employees embrace the hybrid work culture.

Meanwhile, the new workplace provides a conducive environment for people from different industries to engage with clients and colleagues remotely near their homes.

Moreover, co-working has other advantages of using shared resources to save operating costs, and using a management system to reserve resources can prevent misuse of resources.

Hot desk as an example, when someone is absent from the booking system, the system will send a notification to remind the reservationist and automatically release the resource.

What should to prepare for hybrid working?

A hybrid office should use a comprehensive office management system, which helps Singapore employees use office resources efficiently, such as rooms, desks, and office equipment, and support them have remote work and virtual meetings with their colleagues in the office. 

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.    

ONES Software now has a dedicated page to introduce a series of hybrid working measures to help you solve problems. You may wish to go to https://ones.software/hybrid-workspace/ for further reference.   

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

The post New co-working and hot desking space at Marsiling MRT Singapore first appeared on ONEs Blog.

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.

“In Singapore,” said Joanna Lim, Modern Work and Security Business Group Lead, Microsoft Singapore, “we recently moved from being allowed to return to the workplace, back to where working from home is once again our default.

As businesses adapt to the disruptive change, business leaders must recognize that long-held assumptions no longer hold true with their employees. They must now make choices that will impact their organizations for years to come.

 Joanna Lim, Modern Work and Security Business Group Lead, Microsoft Singapore

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 the report “Making Flexible Work, Work: Towards Better and More Inclusive
Work-Life Practices” from Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Darussalam, there are several nice definitions for flexible working terms:

Work-Life Practices (WLPs)

Various forms of support for work-life integration, including leave, support networks, facilities, etc. This includes Flexible Work Arrangements.

Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs)

Flexibility in the time and location of work. This includes Work From Home arrangements.

These arrangements aim to provide greater flexibility
in the following areas: the workplace, scheduling of hours worked, number of
hours worked and flexibility of job roles.

The top FWAs in the Life at Work Survey were:

1. Flexi Hours (48%)
2. Leaving Early From Work (34%)
3. Staggered Hours (22%)
4. Job Sharing (19%)
5. Work-From-Home/Telecommuting (16%)

Work-From-Home (WFH)

A subset of FWAs, in which employees may work remotely some or all of the time

Learn more:

Post-MCO Safety Guidelines Info Page

How can hybrid working help Singaporeans and their companies save their daily expenses now? 

20+ Questions for your Hybrid Working Employee Survey

Why Hybrid Working is the winner in the APAC region? Experts explain.

Hybrid work is preferred across ASEAN markets

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

• 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)

Who is implementing hybrid working in Singapore?

Beyond the COVID-19 epidemic, the banking industry in Singapore, for example, is implementing flexi-work as a permanent component, although the hybrid model implemented by each bank differs.

UOB, for example, has implemented a two-day work-from-home policy, allowing workers to organize their work depending on where they can be most efficient.

Similarly, DBS allows employees to work remotely up to 40% of the time and plans to launch a Living Lab that combines physical and virtual workspace configurations to facilitate discussions and cross-team collaborations.

HSBC, on the other hand, has three work arrangements based on job roles: office workers are permanently office-based due to compliance reasons or the need to be client-facing, flexible office workers are primarily office-based and may work from home one to two days per week, and flexible home workers have a fixed schedule that includes at least 50% work-from-home time.

Citi intends to offer its global workforce a new work model that provides consistency, permanency, and flexibility. The new work model will classify staff into three globally consistent role designations, helping identify the best model of flexibility and helping them achieve better work and life balance.   

Under the new model, employees worldwide are divided into three globally consistent role designations. The new work model applies to Citi’s 8,500 employees in Singapore. 

Global communications agency Redhill decided to move its new global headquarters to Singapore Tanjong Pagar on September 2022. Up to 150 employees can work in the new 5,000-square-foot area in Tanjong Pagar, which is intended for hot desking.

Timeline of Singapore Workplace Requirements in Response to Covid-19

Work-from-home is no longer the default in Singapore from Jan 1, 2022, and a higher focus on Workplace Strategy is expected as more people return to the office.

While new Covid-19 variations are possible hazards that might hinder the return to work, the degree of concern is low. Disruptions are anticipated to be less severe in 2022 than they were in the early days of the epidemic.

With nearly two years into the pandemic, Singapore is now better prepared to respond effectively. Even when new Covid-19 types develop, pandemic efforts may become more focused and subtle in the future. This is backed up by the high immunization rate.

As of 10 January 2022, approximately 87% of Singapore’s population had been fully vaccinated, a significant improvement from early April 2021, when less than 10% of the population had been fully vaccinated.

As a result, firms will be more confident in expanding their office footprint as the economy recovers.

(Cushman & Wakefield)

General hybrid working data

Singapore’s CBD Grade A office

According to Savills research, the vacancy level of Grade A office space in the city-central state’s business area (CBD) in Singapore continues to decline for the second consecutive quarter.

The vacancy rate of such office properties fell by 1.2 percentage points quarter on quarter in Q3 2022, to 5.6 percent, following a 0.4 percentage point drop in the previous three months.

According to Savills, the decrease in vacancy levels was seen across all three grades of office buildings, particularly in Grade AA offices, where the vacancy rate fell by 2.4 percentage points on a quarterly basis.

The office submarkets of Orchard Road and Marina Bay, in particular, had the lowest office vacancy rates of 1.7 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

(Savills)

According to JLL, it only took 18 months for Singapore’s CBD Grade A office rentals to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the real estate consultancy’s research, the gross effective rent for CBD Grade A office space increased 2.9% year on year to SGD 11.06 per sq ft per month in 3Q22, up from SGD 10.74 per sq ft per month in 2Q22. This has surpassed the pre-pandemic peak of SGD 10.81 psf per month recorded in 4Q19 and is the highest since SGD 12.55 in 4Q08.

(JLL)

Future Sources of Office Demand

Technology and financial occupiers will continue to be the major sources of office demand in 2022 as they expand headcounts amidst an economic recovery. Technology and finance occupiers drove about 65% of new leases within the CBD in 2021 .

On the other hand, co-working operators (real estate), once a major driver of CBD office demand, have slowed their expansion spree since the pandemic struck, albeit continuingly picking up pockets of space.

Some co-working operators are evolving their business models to an asset light strategy, preferring management agreements from direct leases of space.

Given occupiers increased demand for flexibility and flex space, co-working demand is still expected to expand albeit at a more measured pace.

(Cushman & Wakefield)

Proportion of workers in the resident labor force who WFH due to the COVID-19 situation

As the global Covid-19 situation worsened in 2020, businesses adopted a new mode of operation, allowing their employees to work from home (WFH). Singapore is no exception, with 49 percent of employed residents working remotely by 2020.

This resulted in one of the highest proportions of resident employees working remotely when compared to other European Union (EU) member states such as Belgium and Finland, where more than half of employed residents worked remotely. ( Labour Force in Singapore 2020 edition: Impact of COVID-19 on the Labour Market​ )

Work-from-home is no longer the default in Singapore

When will work from home end in Singapore?

From Jan 1, Work-from-home is no longer the default in Singapore from Jan 1, 2022.

50 percent of employees who can work from home will be allowed to return to the office, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (Dec 14, 2021). (channelnewsasia)

Singapore employee data

Flexible work is here to stay in Singapore

More than 82 percent of Singapore workers want flexible remote work options to stay, but 66 percent want more face-to-face time with their teams.

(Microsoft)

The majority of workers in ASEAN (72%) choose a hybrid working style that combines in-office and remote work, as opposed to a totally remote (23%) or in-office (5%) experience, indicating that workers are aware that the future of work will be hybrid.

Similar results were found in Singapore, where respondents preferred a hybrid of a remote and in-office working paradigm to a wholly remote (25%) or fully in-office (4%) experience in the future.

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

By Logitech’s report, 63% of respondents said they preferred hybrid work arrangements, while 25% would opt for fully remote work practices and 9% wanted everyone to be back in the office. 

(Logitech)

Flexible work retains Singapore talent

Over 50% of Singapore workers surveyed said they would consider leaving their jobs if asked to return full-time to the workplace.

(People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View)

Also, based on the IPS study that asking if they would consider looking for another job if their employer requires them to return to the office on most days, 37 percent of respondents faced with this prospect said that they would consider looking for another job during the period between Dec 28 last year and Feb 22.

But among those surveyed from March 18 to April 11, when there was a further relaxation of Covid-19 measures, this figure grew to 42 percent.

(todayonline)

People with caregiver duties prefer flexible work arrangements

Respondents with aged persons at home were more likely to feel that flexible work arrangements should be the new norm for workplaces (52%) as compared to those with children (44%) or those with both children and aged persons at home (37%).

Those with children at home were more likely to feel that working from home on most days should be the new norm at workplaces (28%) compared to those with aged persons (22%) or those with both aged persons and children at home (25%)

However, more respondents with both children and aged persons at home also feel that working from the office on most days should be the new norm for workplaces (38%) as compared to respondents with children (28%) or respondents with aged persons at home (26%).

(todayonline)

Preference for remote work and hybrid work in Singapore

The ability to work remotely appears to be the most popular option among Singapore employees, with the majority (78 percent) preferring a hybrid schedule.

Employees are far less enthusiastic about committing to a single environment: only 12% prefer working from the office all the time, and 10% prefer working remotely full-time. (Milieu Insight)

Unalignment between leader and workers in Singapore

According to research, 51 percent of Singaporean leaders are thriving right now, while only 27 percent of employees (without decision-making power) are. (Microsoft)

Singapore Gen Z is exhausted

Gen Z (aged 18 to 25) is particularly vulnerable, as more than 70% of this generation in Singapore believes they are merely surviving or struggling. (Microsoft)

Workers in ASEAN report productivity improvement

In ASEAN, 64% of workers reported an increase in productivity, and 65% of employees felt that working hybrid had improved the quality of their work. The same number of respondents (66%) also mentioned improvements in professional knowledge and abilities.

Particularly in Singapore, the figures were a little lower:

1. Employees feel that their work quality has increased, according to 56% of them.
2. 60% think productivity has increased.
   
   While 76% of employees in Singapore agreed, over 75% of employees in ASEAN thought that their role can now be completed as successfully from home as it can in the office.
   
   (Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

Employees believe hybrid work can save their time

One of the advantages noted is that hybrid work gives workers their time back; 73% of ASEAN respondents reported saving more than four hours per week as a result. Even more, 32% managed to save more than eight hours. 65% of people were able to reinvest the extra time by spending it with their family, friends, and pets thanks to the time saved on reduced or no commuting, and impromptu office contacts.

In Singapore, the figures stayed largely the same, with 70% saving over four hours and 28% saving over eight.

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

Employees believe hybrid work can improve social and physical wellbeing

When it comes to the social side, 86% of ASEAN respondents reported better relations with family, while 55% reported better contact with friends. (74%, 50%, Singapore).

In terms of health, 77% of ASEAN citizens reported eating healthier, 79% reported exercising more, and 78% reported being physically fitter. 72% of Singaporeans agreed to believe that their physical fitness had improved, following a similar trend.

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

Employees believe hybrid work can save their money

In terms of money, 86% of workers in ASEAN reported saving money, with an average saving of over US$7,462.52 per year, or US$143.51 per week. This roughly equated to an increase in savings of 14.5%.

The top three places to make savings were specifically:

• Commuting costs (88%)
• Food and entertainment (75%)
• Lifestyle and social activities (60%)

(Cisco Global Hybrid Work Study 2022)

A study by the Institute of Policy Studies in Singapore found that Singaporeans thought flex-work benefits save on daily expenses. The reasons are as follows:

1. Reduce the chance of getting Covid-19: Preventing paying medical expenses; (87%)
2. Greater Flexibility in incorporating personal life needs with work schedules (83%)
3. Less money and time spent on commuting: Allowing staff to work at home. (78%)
4. Less need to dress for work: No need to go back to the office for work.   (75%)

(Institute of Policy Studies)

Reasons why Singaporeans choose remote office

In addition to saving time and money on commuting to and from work, those on hybrid work arrangements cited improved work-life balance and a less stressful working environment as benefits of working from home.

Those currently working in a hybrid work arrangement appear to have a higher quality of life because they have more time and fewer office stressors. (Milieu Insight)

Reasons why Singaporeans choose to work at office/client location

Admins wanted to understand employees’ primary motivation(s) for going to work with the hybrid model designed for flexibility of working remotely while still offering structure, stability, and social benefits.

According to the survey of Milieu Insight, employees are motivated to come to work to meet with their teams and colleagues for collective work, brainstorming sessions, building connections, and other social rituals.

To be truly successful with a hybrid work arrangement, businesses should consider transforming their offices to accommodate what these spaces will actually be used for – for employees to innovate, collaborate, and connect. (Milieu Insight)

Crucial digital transformation strategy

According to 72% of workers, one crucial transformation strategy is to expand the function of human resources to encompass comprehensive hybrid rules and guidelines. This may involve influencing an organization’s productivity measurement system, like Microsoft Viva.

(Telstra)

Singapore employer data

Top 3 ICT spend by Singapore companies

The top 3 information and communications technology (ICT) spent by Singapore market are:

1. Data and analytics to measure productivity
2. Cloud infrastructure and services
3. Internet of Things

(Telstra)

How employers in Singapore are approaching hybrid work

Employers in Singapore expect the majority of their workforce to work remotely in Q1 2022, with the exception of those in production/manufacturing and frontline sales/front office/customer-facing roles, where 45 percent and 29 percent of employers expect their employees to work in the workplace all the time, respectively.

In terms of human resources, 24% of employers polled said they would expect their HR teams to work remotely all the time, while 65% expected a hybrid arrangement (25 percent indicated working remotely twice or more a week, 40% indicated thrice or more), and 8% expected HR to work in the workplace all the time. (ManpowerGroup)

Optimizing Hybrid Work with New Technology

A majority of APAC leaders and employees (70%) saw a progressive change with clear guidelines to achieve full hybrid policies.

Currently, organizations were measuring productivity by setting goals for communication frequently (57%), using tools for teamwork and collaboration (56%), and the output based on the work completed (50%).

For future productivity strategies, organizations indicated that they would look toward future-focused goals (66%), consistent policy on performance rating (58%), and updated performance indicators (53%).

(Telstra)

Redesign office for hybrid working

62% of business leaders are more likely to redesign office space to accommodate hybrid work.

(Microsoft)

More information for hybrid working

Businesses General Requirements in Singapore

https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/safemanagement/general/

FAQs on Safe Management Measures at the workplace

https://www.mom.gov.sg/covid-19/frequently-asked-questions/safe-management-measures

ONES All-in-one smart office system

ONES Software now has a dedicated page to introduce a series of hybrid working measures to help you solve problems. You may wish to go to https://ones.software/sg/hybrid-workspace/ for further reference.  

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

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

Lots of Singapore companies are considering reducing operational costs and pulling back business spending in order to face the tightening financial conditions. Hot desking is one of the arrangements that can help to save your daily expenses.

Flexible work in Singapore

The ministry of manpower in Singapore recently published the “Tripartite Statement on Flexible Work Arrangements(FWA)”, which encourages companies to sustain and promote flexible work arrangements as a permanent feature of the workplace.

One of the reasons for implementing FWA is it can allow employees to work more flexibly. This can not only allow people to achieve work-life balance but also help companies to retain talents and improve productivity.

Another reason why flexible working stays in Singapore is that it can highly reduce operational costs.

Hot desking save your operational cost

Office space is likely one of your businesses’ largest investments. However, office resources are usually wasted due to low utilization and misuse such as no-shows. The data from Inc. shows that as much as 40% of an office’s dedicated desk space is unused on a given day.

A flexible work approach is a much more attractive prospect when it comes to budgeting. The least expensive and most flexible solution for flexible working is hot desking.

Hot desking can reduce their office operating costs by 30% while saving 15% to 25% on the amount of space they require. You just show up and take the first position that opens up, so look for a location that isn’t really busy so that you have no trouble grabbing a seat.

For unlimited access, budget $200 to $500 per month; if you only need it sometimes, choose day tickets. Dedicated desks, where you can keep your excess items and an external display, start at $400 per month.

When fewer people are required to work in physical offices each day, savings from utilities like heat and electricity can be also spread and put toward a strong digital infrastructure.

Mr. Chen Chun-You, a Singaporean tech entrepreneur who founded the e-payment service Sapphiro, said flexible working can help him to rent prime housing at a lower rate in a remote place.

Meanwhile, his company income would not be reduced as the online management platforms support the company to still work in high efficiency.

How much can you save when using hot desking in Singapore?

Based on the article from Officefinder, according to data released by the authority, in the first 3 months of 2021, the median rent for traditional office space in Singapore was between $2.51 and $7.95 per square foot per month with a total of 665 leases concluded.

That means an average office space with 2,000 square feet that can contain around 10 employees in Singapore will cost around $5,020 to $15,900 a month. When compared to the previous quarter in 2020, the number of office leases increased by 10.46% in Q1 2021.

Therefore, if a company that has around 10 employees is willing to implement hot desking, it can save on average $9,036 to $28,620 in office operating costs per year.

In conclusion, a hot desking arrangement with a hybrid working system can be used to reduce office space. Once space is reduced, the cost of rent will go down. Costs associated with lighting, heating, and maintenance will also be decreased.

Learn more about how hybrid working helps you, and implement your own All-in-one smart office system.

The post How much can a Singapore company save by using hot desking? first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Reasons for return to the office 

Due to the COVID-19 border restrictions, Singaporeans are aware of the benefits of flexible working. Some reports reflect that remote work allows Singaporeans to work-life balance. Although there are lots of advantages to remote work, some people would still like to return to the office for work.

A working paper researched over 70% of workers said they were returning to workplaces on most days when polled between Apr 1 and Apr 11. The reason is the researchers noted that workers can enhance their work efficiency when they work at a suitable workplace. 

Joanne, a marketing manager, said that she doesn’t like to work from home because it makes her work lonely and interruptions too much at home.

She then seeks an office setting for human interaction and better productivity. And finally, she decided to work at a co-working office that provides hot-desking and thought that is better than working at a regular office. 

So what are the benefits when working in a co-working place?

Benefits of working in a co-working place

Connection with different kinds of talents 

In a co-working office, there are lots of talents from different kinds of industries. People can increase their knowledge and skills by interacting with these talents.  

Work more flexibly than ever before

An anonymous HR professional aged 35, who works at a co-working office, said: “I could work in a different environment for five days a week.” 

As he said, co-working is flexible because people can choose the work location in which they most enjoy working through some office management systems, for example, hot desking and meeting room systems. 

Provides friendly facilities to encourage more creative ideas 

Co-working office has a friendly environment because there are lots of comfortable areas. For example, a brainstorm room and a gym room. They help employees to reduce stress and have a positive impact on creativity. 

Cheaper rent, less operation cost 

Freelancers prefer to rent co-working offices because the rent is more affordable. Also, many companies are also starting to use hot desking and increasing co-working space to reduce unnecessary office resources and operating costs. 

Welfares for working at a co-working space 

The basic benefit of a co-working space in general is that all resources in the space are shared, and there are also free coffee and snack bars provided. 

In Singapore, there are various types of shared offices that offer different benefits. 

• Cocoon Space has an in-house sewing studio and a resource wall for those in the fashion industry to explore the use of different fabrics; 
• Gather Cowork allows members to bring their pets into the workspace; 
• WeWork promotes a “healthy workplace” and therefore has facilities dedicated to wellness, including centers run by Just Jym and The Living Cafe. 

Apart from hot desking, what else of office setup does co-working space need? 

Co-working office is one of the perfect facilities for hybrid work, and there are more and more co-working office systems in Singapore. ONES is one of the famous management systems in Singapore that can help you to easily implement hybrid working with ease.

To learn more about the functions associated with co-working office systems, Room Booking, and Visitor Management, please visit https://ones.software/sg/. 

The post Blooming co-working and hot desking space in Singapore now first appeared on ONEs Blog.

Up to 150 employees can work in the new 5,000-square-foot area in Tanjong Pagar, which is intended for hot desking.

A new Singapore headquarters full with hot-desking

The new headquarters has 5,000 sq ft space, is designed for hot desking in Singapore, and provides a variety of flexible facilities to create an inclusive environment.

Learn more about hot desking: Hot Desking 101: a quick guide

The feature of hot-desking in Singapore is that it allows workers to use any available desks immediately so that they can have flexible work locations and work flexibly. 

The primary work zone becomes a co-working area, providing open-plan seating, and versatile discussion spaces. The aim is to facilitate collaboration and cooperation, while meeting rooms and quiet cars will enable team discussions and focused work.    

Moreover, the new office has other flexible arrangements which are providing some comfortable lounges for workers to gather and chat and a spacious pantry area for relaxing or taking a tea break.   

Why does Redhill implement hybrid working?    

Founder and CEO of Redhill Jacob Puthenparambil said they always focused on initiatives that promote the well-being and welfare of its employees and encourage their skills enhancement and career development.

This new space better accommodates our rapidly growing team and enables us to hire additional talent to service our growing client base and to provide industry-leading support. Our new office was designed to inspire collaboration, innovation, and team spirit– acting as our base of operations as we further our mission to tell authentic stories across the world

Jacob Puthenparambil, Founder and CEO of Redhill

Serval studies showed that the well-being and welfare of Singaporeans are that they would like to work-life balance by working flexibly. Hot desking can help Singaporeans to fulfill their needs.  

Thus, Redhill launched its first diversity and inclusion program in 2021, which includes improving the pay structure and working environment for employees.

The new working environment should provide flexible working areas, such as a hot desking zone, and co-meeting areas for gathering or training new staff.  

This new working approach helps their workers to foster a sense of community while preserving individual well-being and then makes employees happy to work and helps Redhill retain their talent. This has a positive impact on increasing employees’ productivity at the same time.   

Recognization of productivity growth 

Redhill’s first diversity and inclusion project, which featured a redesign of its pay system to put an emphasis on pay parity based on skill and experience rather than a person’s most recent drawn salary, was introduced in 2021.

The agency’s inclusion in the Adland’s Diversity and Inclusion Index 2021, an industry-recognition award program that recognizes companies that improve the quality of their work environment for their employees, was the result of these initiatives.

Moreover, these approaches help Redhill to attract many new talents to join them, and their workers are increasing to over 150 people now. 

Build your own hot-desking area

Hot desking is one of the best setups for a Singaporean smart office. It is an organizational workspace system in which desks are used on an ad hoc, first-come, first-served basis by different people at different times. 

By using hot desks, management can reduce the number of fixed desks and reduce the amount of office space or rent. Those reducing spaces were redesigned as co-workspace for employees to do collaboration work. 

Video on hot-desking introduction: How Does Hot Desking Work? | ONES – YouTube

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

The post Full with hot desking: Redhill Singapore unveils new global headquarters  first appeared on ONEs Blog.

On the other hand, many of the MNCs and government offices in Singapore are now turning to co-working spaces to improve their flexibility.

Klook Singapore: Building family-friendly workplaces with flexibility

The Business Times speaks to three firms to learn how these programs have benefited their workplaces and what advice they would provide to other businesses considering adopting similar programs.

Cary Shek, vice-president of people and culture at Klook, mentioned the company’s position on hybrid work, and the accommodation for staff who are keen to work from home on a regular basis.

At Klook, we are maintaining hybrid work arrangements and we empower our people managers to assess and provide additional flexibility to employees with family or other personal commitments.

The pandemic made us rethink the meaning of the physical workplace and how best we can empower local teams subject to their restrictions. We have to strike a balance, and the hybrid-working model gives us the best of both worlds, in terms of flexibility and human connection.

Cary Shek, vice-president of people and culture at Klook

Over the past two years, Klook has been renting one floor from a coworking space here. Additionally, employees are permitted to utilize desks at all of the co-working chain’s locations, which Klook asked not to be identified.

When Klook first joined the Singapore market a few years ago, according to Ms. Cary Shek, staff were housed in a shophouse. However, as the squad grew, that proved impossible. Klook sought a location that would better encourage employee interaction and collaboration, and discovered that a co-working facility may also provide more flexibility than rented office space.

As a fast-moving company, efficiency is so important to us. Time (is) required to set up a new office and … maintain it. We do need to make a call – where do we want our people to focus on.

A co-working space provides us with the scalability … (and) allows us to optimise the space, like when our business keeps expanding.

Cary Shek, vice-president of people and culture at Klook

Learn more about ONES – an all-in-one smart office system that helps your office changes into a co-working space.

Multinationals use co-working spaces for hybrid working

Apart from Klook, Standard Chartered has already implemented flexible work and believed that flexible work can help them retain its talents. The reason for implementing flexible work is that base on the understanding of Singaporeans’ preferences, spending time with family is more important than work.

The 10,000 workers of Standard Chartered Business in Singapore have access to workplaces that are closer to their homes thanks to flex space supplier IWG, even though the bank still retains its main headquarters in Changi Business Park and Marina Bay Financial Tower 1.

Learn more: How does Standard Chartered introduce flexi-working in Singapore?

The head of resourcing for Standard Chartered in Singapore, Mr. Brian Richards, said he meets up with coworkers at the bank’s main headquarters and occasionally utilizes coworking spaces as a substitute for working from home and for off-site team meetings.

I appreciate the availability of diverse conducive spaces to support my various work needs, and the change in environment is refreshing and boosts productivity.

Mr. Brian Richards, the head of resourcing for Standard Chartered in Singapore

Decentralization, Flexibility, and Cost Reduction

“This is clearly a reflection of the increasing popularity of work-from-anywhere.” Mr. Darren Rogers said, country manager for IWG Singapore.

There is an increasing trend for having workplaces near residences, according to co-working spaces.

Between February and August of this year, more people visited IWG centers outside of the city center than within, according to Mr. Rogers. Since launching in April, visits to its newest Regus center at Balestier’s Hiap Hoe Building increased by 240%.

Flexibility is a key advantage as it allows co-working space users the option to scale up or down, while traditional office leases lock a tenant down for a minimum three years, coupled with the consideration for a longer amortisation period for their fit-outs.

said Mr Desmond Sim, CEO of real estate consulting firm Edmund Tie

Smaller businesses may have easy access to a desirable location through a flexible co-working facility, which is essential for talent acquisition.

When asked to compare the expenses of using a co-working space with renting an office, Mr. Desmond responded that they depend on the location and level of use, but that employing a subscription model has lower upfront expenditures.

In general, a typical cost plan for a co-working space may be quite even and spread out, paid on an annual basis, while a traditional lease will have to incur higher setup costs … at the lease commencement

said Mr Desmond Sim, CEO of real estate consulting firm Edmund Tie

Learn more about Singapore Working Culture: https://ones.software/blog/category/singapore-work-culture/

Reference: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/co-working-space-wework-justco-iwg-office-space-2944271

The post S’pore MNCs and Gov offices are now changing into co-working spaces. Here are the reasons. first appeared on ONEs Blog.

The new work model of Citi bank 

Citi intends to offer its global workforce a new work model that provides consistency, permanency, and flexibility. The new work model will classify staff into three globally consistent role designations, helping identify the best model of flexibility and helping them achieve better work and life balance.   

Under the new model, employees worldwide are divided into three globally consistent role designations. The new work model applies to Citi’s 8,500 employees in Singapore. 

The three new roles for Citi’s employees  

1. Most roles globally are designated as a hybrid working model, enabling employees to better manage work-life balance while experiencing the benefits of being together in person. Associates assigned in hybrid roles will have the opportunity to work remotely up to two days per week if they wish.  

2. Resident roles are those roles where they can only work on sites, such as employees in branch offices or those working in data centers. These employees are expected to work fully on-site.  

3. Remote roles are those which can be performed offsite given the nature of their work. Employees whose role has been tagged as a remote role have the opportunity to work off-site for up to five days a week.  

In Singapore, most of Singapore Citi’s staff have been designated as a hybrid mode. The reasons hybrid roles are that allow the employees to work flexibly, and Citi understands flexibility is very important to Singaporeans. The recruitment agency Randstad interviewed 1000 workers, it found that 77% of the Singaporeans said that they focus on working with flexibility. 

More details about the roles in the future work 

How does hybrid work benefit Singapore employees and Citi? 

For Singapore employees, hybrid work provides them the flexible working hours, flexible work styles, and flexible locations. 

Working with flexible working hours that allow Singapore employees to spend more time with their families.  

A flexible work style can make them happier and more engaged in their work so as to have high productivity.  

The flexible locations allow the workers to choose where they want to work. When the workers go back to the office, there is some equipment to help them to work better, which is only found in the office. Also, the reduction in travel time and expenses for remote work, is especially appealing to the younger generation in Singapore. 

For Singapore Citi, flexible work can help Citi recruit or retain their talents, and let Citi consider redesigning the office. 

Facing a tight labor market and the need to attract developing potential, Citi should nonetheless give certain remote working choices to improve its capacity to recruit or retain its talents. A survey shows that 42% of Singapore employees consider quitting if they cannot work flexibly. 

Also, as the workers are not always back in the office, Citi could consider redesigning the workspace by reducing the unnecessary fixed tables and changing the tables to hot desks. Therefore, the saving area could be rebuilt as a co-working area for gathering or reducing it to have less rent. 

Since the aim of Singapore Citi is “best support colleagues while still providing excellent service to clients”, then hybrid work allows Singapore Citi’s staff to spend more time with their families and ensures the customers can have excellent service as the workers have high productivity.  

Therefore, Singapore Citi is suitable to adopt the hybrid roles as hybrid work makes the Singapore employees and Citi more flexible on work and allows both of them to enjoy the benefits of flexibility. 

More details on Why flexible work is important in Singapore now? – ONEs Blog  

Hybrid working improves productivity

To conclude, the new hybrid roles not only provide flexible working hours to satisfy the Singapore staff’s needs that can allow them to spend more time with their families but also provide a flexible work style that can improve the workers’ productivity.  

Also, hybrid work can fulfill the aim of Singapore Citi which is to best support colleagues with flexible work and ensure the customers can have excellent service with high employee productivity. 

Therefore, Citi implements the hybrid role of the new work model not only to improve the flexibility of the Singapore workers but also can improve the Singapore employees’ productivity. 

The best setup for hybrid working you must know

Many organizations rely on cloud-based tools for hybrid working, which has become the norm since the pandemic. Other companies use a combination of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications and traditional local workloads protected by secure tunnels like VPNs. These applications allow employees to be more productive wherever they have access to the Internet. 

ONES  provides both on-premises and cloud options for an organization to choose from in order to fit their cases. Organizations can install the system into their private server, or they can enjoy our cloud service without any installation.

Also, supporting the Singapore employees’ work in the office with flexibility. We provide Room Booking, Desk Booking, and Visitor Management that can make you easily perform virtual meetings, desk-hoteling, and digital office management. 

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

The post How does Citi Singapore define its new work models globally to improve flexibility?   first appeared on ONEs Blog.