Hybrid Work Movement  

Change is inevitable!

The pandemic forced us to adapt to working from home, a new reality that most of us struggled to cope with. Employees and companies alike have pivoted and adapted to the inevitable future of work to prioritize safety amid COVID-related concerns.

During the lockdown of 2020, businesses began working on a semi-hybrid workplace model that can function remotely in tandem with limited people attending office as required.

It is 2021, and companies began to create a culture of a true hybrid workplace by implementing new processes and adopting collaboration over AV.

A few businesses were able to continue with 100% work from home and are yet to return to their offices for more than a year.

However, making work from home permanent for all employees is not a viable long-term option for most businesses.

The recent lockdown and growing number of Covid-19 cases in several states across the country have impacted the safe return to work. The hybrid workplace model is super-relevant in today’s time more than ever. Businesses will eventually have to reopen and embrace a mixed approach of work from home, work from the office and also work from anywhere.

The organizations that reopen will focus on employees’ safety and peace of mind considering the second wave of COVID. Most organizations need to consider tools for remote collaboration tools, wellness, human resources, and cybersecurity.

Here we will discuss how to enable employees to return to work with the power of technology to ensure smooth operations and to create a hybrid workplace.

Pre-entry Wellness Checks

Every employee returning to work worries whether their coworkers have been exposed to COVID-19. Several asymptomatic people become the cause for a wider spread of the virus. This fear subliminally exists among all employees returning to work and it impacts their productivity and workspace satisfaction.

Many organizations that had reopened after the previous lockdown have already implemented health screenings. Using a sensor like Abtus enables thermal screening and alerts if anyone’s body temperature is abnormal. A few others, like Salesforce, use other means such as a daily wellness check-in survey. There are survey tools that organizations can use to enable alerts to the admin or security staff if a visitor does not meet entry requirements based on their responses to COVID-related questions.

All organizations that are preparing to reopen should implement similar approaches to alleviate employee health concerns.

Touchless Entry

The thought of having to sanitize anything you use or touch has become a norm owing to the pandemic. People are skeptical to touch doorknobs or lift panels due to their fear.

Imagine if you can open the door with a gesture and command elevators without touching buttons! A lot of companies are experimenting with gesture detection technologies to enable this.

Businesses that consider such technologies will be able to instill confidence among employees who are returning to work after a year of working from home.

Businesses have been striving to implement social distancing at their workspaces. The offices that had reopened during the last year have implemented social distancing already. However, the organizations resuming work from the office after a year will have to be meticulous to ensure adherence to social distancing. It is imperative to help eliminate any concerns among employees about safety when they will have to return to work or to visit work for a meeting.

Usage of technology solutions such as sensors to monitor occupancy and to raise alarms if over-crowding happens will address employee concerns on social distancing. When offices reopen this time, organizations need to implement a greater level of diligence to be able to give their employees peace of mind.

Remote Collaboration

Organizations will continue to adopt a hybrid workplace model post-reopening to maintain social distancing and provide employees with the option to work from home.

Virtual collaboration tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Kaptivo, will continue to be used extensively by organizations to connect with their remote workforce. However, effective communication could be hindered due to the poor choice or integration of tools, thereby impacting productivity and efficiency.

Organizations should strive to resolve this challenge, which currently affects the hybrid workplace model, to ensure seamless communication among all team members.

Employee Engagement Tools

With the isolated work from home environment, the human in-person connection between team members has diminished over time. It along with other factors has impacted the mental health of employees.

With organizations adopting hybrid working as the future of their workplaces, human resources professionals are required to put in extra effort to keep their employees emotionally connected with their organization through employee engagement strategies and tools such as OMBEA.

Every business needs to address the growing mental health concern to show that they care about their employees which in turn will increase their commitment and equip them to handle their current reality

Get Hybrid Ready

Prepare your organization to transition into a true hybrid workplace model. When offices reopen after the lockdown, organizations must be equipped and safe for the employees visiting the office for meetings or the ones working from the office. This will help organizations create a happier, more productive, and uplifted workforce.

If you have any questions on the implementation of several technology ideas discussed in this article, reach out to us for a free consultation call with our solution expert today.