CFAS Autumn 2021 Journal

Industry News and Services
Are you ‘technology’
There’s a lot of conversations and predictions in the media about what the new workspace should look
Will everyone will be #BackToTheOffice or #WorkingFromHome or a hybrid mix, or even working
This leads to “grey” area’s such
as:
How much to invest in?
• What new office technology,
what furnishing, what format,
if at all.
What is expected by employees?
• How many need or want to
return
How much office space will be
utilised as a result?
• How quickly will this be known
Currently, for most companies, all
these questions and more remain
unquantifiable!
QUESTIONS: What should a
company do?…
1. Watch and wait,
2. Follow the lead of others
3. Be proactive about
welcoming back their
employees
ANSWER: all of the above!
A BBC commissioned survey
reported 43 out of 50 UK top
companies said they will embrace
the hybrid model, which arguably
demonstrates the positive
sentiment towards hybrid
working.
Yet there is clearly a common
challenge in organisations
that is clouding judgement
of what the hybrid space is,
with IT – Procurement – HR -
Facilities all pulling in different
directions with different complex
challenges. Decisions are tending
to be slow, non-committal and
undecided, which is where 3rd
party consultation can unlock the
failure to move forward.
Perhaps a simple over-arching
question should be asked; can
the company work more cost
effectively, more competitively
and more efficiently with remote
workers based on current
experience?
If the answer is yes then a
hybrid strategy is required, if the
answer is no then a more simpler
working practice is need,
BUT to stand still by continuing
as before is not an option as
your competitors, partners,
suppliers and employees
will be considering flexible
advancement and you don’t want
to be left behind.
What research* has uncovered so
far is that companies are finding
that administrative tasks are
best produced at home in quiet,
undisturbed settings and that
creative tasks are best produced
collaboratively in high energy
creative communal locations.
Depending on the role, arguably
most of us have an element of
both tasks in our day-to-day
work activities and therefore this
quantifies perhaps the 43/50
UK top companies favouring the
hybrid option.
Hybrid working provides the
flexibility for employees to work
where they want, sometimes,
when they want. The work-life
benefits of which are clear for
the wellbeing of the employee
and often as a result the
productivity is increased and
costs such as overheads are
lowered. However, it does come
with challenges for the employer.
Careful management with a
fresh, flexible and quantified
programme that suits both the
employee and the employer, for
the wellbeing of both.
Centralised ‘creative’
collaboration space needs to be
equipped with:
• soft furnishings
• video conference
collaboration technology for
creative sessions
• interactive experience
centre presentation spaces
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