Decades ago, in the world of work, we were dealing with the issue of usefulness: What people need to work. This raised the question of productivity: How people can work better and faster. This raised the question of commitment: Why it is important to keep people happy and engaged. During the pandemic, everything changed. The new issue is flexibility, security, communication, collaboration and creativity from anywhere and the experience of remote work. It is therefore appropriate to understand the future of work so that it serves a higher meaning and purpose.

You have probably already read statements somewhere that office spaces will be completely unnecessary in the future. The opposite is true! Offices will there be with us all the time. Why? The end of offices was predicted much earlier, when the telephone, fax, computer, internet, mobile phone were invented and we could go on… The reason why offices will not disappear is undoubtedly the unique human interactions leading to mutual communication, cooperation and creativity, Jiří Plátek, Workplace Design Specialist, AV MEDIA, opens our interview.

It is true that offices will not look and function the same as they did before the pandemic. What does that mean? Most companies will work in a hybrid model. Some people work in an office and some work from home or anywhere. People mix and mingle in different ways during the work week. None of them will work the same way they used to.

The hybrid working/collaboration model will require a new plan from companies and their leaders. How to properly design digital offices and workspaces. The new premises must respond meaningfully to the needs and wishes of employees not only for 2021, but also for the rest of this decade. Here are the TRENDS that will affect the future of work.

’We live in a time of uncertainty because we do not know what will happen, but we know that the world of work has changed.’

FLEXIBILITY

People want to customize their work preferences in the office space, just like in their modern vehicles, so they could feel flexible. In the past, the desk was considered the dirtiest place in the office because it was used as a personal space. The desks of the future will be much more shared with others.  

Imagine that you are holding your mobile phone with an application installed in your hand. The application will allow sharing the floor plan of all office spaces with colour indicators. The application shows you online which desks and spaces are available and clean. You can even book everything using the same application.

Meeting rooms adapt to human needs and work activities thanks to integrated AV technology: e.g. for group collaboration or brainstorming, a projector with a screen is automatically started, for creative work in a team, an interactive display with a digital whiteboard is used, and for hybrid collaboration with remote participants, a video conference is activated; for individual focused work, the right temperature, lighting and acoustics are set up so that we feel comfortable in the space.

SAFETY

Sensors throughout the office space will keep us safe. The sensors will continuously evaluate not only the flow of fresh air, but also the temperature, air humidity, CO2 level and the intensity of outdoor and artificial lighting. Other evaluations will include alerts on the level of social distancing and the potential for exceeding the number of people in a specific workspace. Why? Because it is important for our health and safety!

In the aforementioned mobile application, we receive a notification about the limitation of the number of people within the framework of the anti-Covid-19 rules who can realistically be invited to a meeting. Via the application, we conveniently book parking spaces in advance, which were previously only available to selected groups. The same applies to wellness areas, kitchens or rooms for rest and relaxation.

You can use your mobile phone to open the elevator, the entrance door to individual floors or a specific meeting room without touching it. Everything will be fully automated and the data will be monitored throughout the building and subsequently evaluated in clear visual reports.

’The hybrid way of working/collaboration will bring more flexibility than ever before.’

COMMUNICATION FROM ANYWHERE

The beauty of video conferencing is that we can be available from anywhere in the world. We can sit in the office, connect from the comfort of home or co-working spaces. This form of remote communication also has its own rules. Many of us have tried participating in a virtual meeting. We realized that brand new skills are important.

In combination with a hybrid work model, we verify that the freedom to work from anywhere leaves us with a feeling of satisfaction, productivity and the setting of our own work-life balance. Thanks to this work model, organizations can effectively involve, engage and offer their people greater flexibility and security in the office environment.

CREATIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT

If you think back to one of the best physical meetings or presentations you have ever had, what was the best part about it? There is an element of surprise in them, either it contains an original insight that you did not know about, or an interesting visualization that surprised you with something. There are many examples of how to interactively involve remote participants from anywhere. You can, for example, divide them into smaller groups in the virtual environment of communication platforms (Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex Meetings, Zoom...), they are called breakout rooms. Collaboration is much better in smaller groups. In breakout rooms, you can effectively brainstorm and use interactive tools in the form of Microsoft/Cisco whiteboard, Miro, Kahoot, Slido… the result can be shared between groups and all participants immediately.

’When, where and how employees work will be connected to technology and communication platforms that increase productivity and collaboration.’

WORK/COLLABORATION FROM HOME

In recent months, it has been confirmed that people can work/collaborate effectively from home. But there will be time to go back to the office. We need to think about the needs of individuals/teams and determine if and under what conditions it makes sense to work from home, in the office or anywhere else. The trend of the future of work is not just about working from home. The future of work is based on choosing anywhere else. At the same time, companies must provide remote team members with AV equipment to have the same work experience as those who will be working from the office.

EXPERIENCE FROM WORK PERFORMED

If you ask someone who participated in a remote meeting during the pandemic, most people will say that it was difficult to hear and see the remote participants. In the future, spaces designed for remote hybrid work/collaboration must function simply and intuitively. This can only be achieved by a proper choice of AV technology in connection with the working space (lighting, sound, acoustics, size of the presented area, choice of communication UC platform, etc.)

’The time has therefore come for thorough monitoring and evaluation of the usability or unusability of individual office spaces.’

DIGITAL IDENTITY

Holding video conferences from the comfort of your home is great, but we need to keep in mind what remote participants will see. What does that mean? It is important to pay attention not only to lighting and sound, but also to what is happening behind you. If you are setting up a video call in the kitchen, for example, while your kids are running around, they will definitely be seen in the background. Keep the surrounding space clean and tidy. Create an atmosphere that exudes professionalism.

If you do not want remote participants to see your natural environment, set up a background blur, use a custom wallpaper, or create a corporate brand background with your company logo. Create a simple and purposeful virtual studio.

Offices in commercial buildings, but also those in homes, have a great opportunity right now to catch up with what was underestimated in the past. We are now investing in people, workspaces and technologies that will make sense, Jiří Plátek concludes our interview.