Can you remember the last time you were in the office five days a week? We don’t either and we’re proud to be championing hybrid working – we truly believe that it’s here to stay.

Across the globe, the recent pandemic has made employees and employers challenge existing attitudes towards the workplace: what is and what isn’t important, what we miss and what we don’t miss, what stimulates productivity and wellbeing, and what doesn’t. As we transition into a post-Covid world, we’ve got some tips and tricks to help promote a stronger, more engaged and collaborative workforce.

1. Act now, thank us later

Today we see employers abandoning policies that are insufficient and outdated (finally!). If your new way of working throughout the last 18 months has worked, why go back to old ways of working and policies? It’s time to act now and introduce new, refreshed policies.

More employees want to work for companies that offer them the balance that works for them and makes them the most engaged in order to enjoy job satisfaction; more employers are noticing the benefits of hybrid working to help create an engaged workforce.

The pandemic has instigated a once in a generation opportunity for established companies who really value their employees to capitalise on new outlooks and to focus on creating a better work life balance – as well as higher productivity and wellbeing levels.

2. Working 9 – 5, it’s not a way to make a living

For many organisations, we’ve seen that the typical 9–5 is clearly a thing of the past and not returning anytime soon. We want to encourage a positive and inspiring work environment, supported by a driven culture. In the future, this will help evolve existing policies in terms of recruitment and retention strategies, but only if it’s supported by smart and flexible technology.

If an employee likes to get started at 7am while the house is quiet, why can’t they finish work at 3pm? Or take two hours for lunch and a walk if that’s what makes them happy? Truly effective and productive hybrid working is about encouraging and enabling people to do the job – when and where works for them on any particular day. Of course, it’s important to note that a fully flexible working strategy is not always possible for some organisations. In this scenario, rather than following the crowd and introducing ‘flexible working’ that isn’t really that flexible (e.g. we’re offering flexible working but you have to come into the office on a Monday and Friday), do what is right for you. Be clear with your employees what your strategy will be and why this is the case – open, honest communication is key.

3. Create a destination

Establish a workplace that’s safe and secure, but also creative and fun to work from. This is where the office space needs to be reimagined to create a destination – an attractive space where individuals are encouraged to socialise as much as brainstorm and share ideas. From rec rooms to coffee making facilities and shared working spaces, refresh your office space to create a destination that beams creativity and collaboration.

Employees also need to feel confident that not only will they be able to seamlessly collaborate with colleagues no matter their location, but also that the physical workplace is a safe place to be. Embracing modern, innovative, cloud-based technology solutions that are straightforward to deploy and operate makes hybrid working easy.

We’re ready, are you?

Businesses now have a golden opportunity to reimagine the workplace for the better. After all, when we have come so far forward in terms of employee experience and business innovation, why would we want to go back to the old ways of working?