Case 2: How to adapt the character of your office to hybrid work?

We are sharing a case study of our work with a global technology company supplying product and system solutions for renowned passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology. Our client has 165,000 employees in 32 countries around the world.

Our collaboration included working environment research and consultancy for one of the company’s branches in Poland, with approximately 800 employees. We studied the experiences of office users in two of their locations in one city. We took into account special expectations employees working in three different work models: office-based, hybrid and remote had of office spaces. We invite you to learn about the challenges we faced, the solutions we implemented and the results we achieved.?

Challenge: Office style not adapted to hybrid work.

The original layout of the client's office was based on an open-space model, with open work spaces and closed rooms for formal communication. In the face of the pandemic and the resulting changes in the style of working, this model no longer met the expectations of users. The lack of meeting spaces, which were largely the factor actually attracting employees to the office, was disappointing, and the many empty desks deepened the frustration. Employees also indicated they needed more space to lay out their materials and take notes during video conferences.

Solution:

We started out by introducing workplace standardisation. Employees working from the office daily were assigned individual desks. Those working in a hybrid model were assigned to a desk-sharing system, enabling them to select the place of work depending on who they collaborate with on a given day. Employees working in a remote model, on the other hand, who only appear in the office occasionally, were offered the so-called ‘hot desks’.

As a result, we could analyse the actual demand for workstations in detail and significantly reduce the administration area, which is made up of desks. This made it possible to introduce a number of alternative areas within the office plan, intended for free and quick consultations and standing meetings. In addition, we repurposed some of the conference rooms into project work spaces and equipped them with ergonomic furniture solutions that enable long work in a comfortable environment, where users have enough space to lay out their materials. As a next step, we fitted the meeting spaces with videoconferencing systems and interactive boards.?

Challenge The need to improve ergonomics in workspaces.

Our interview and survey respondents indicated that some of the problems they faced included the inability to work standing up or adjust the height of the monitor and the fact that workstations could not be adjusted to untypical body sizes.

Solution:

Considering the diverse work styles of employees in a given office (office-based, hybrid and remote) and a limited budget, we recommended the following measures:

• retrofitting workstations used by employees working in an office-based model with desks with electric height adjustment,
• creating eHAT islands (clusters of Electrically Height Adjustable Tables) to be used in a desk-sharing system by tall employees working in a hybrid model,
• cutting back some workstations, as a result of which remote employees could take monitors and ergonomic office chairs for home use.

Challenge: Acoustic problems hindering work comfort.

According to 45.73% of our client's staff acoustics were the key element of the office that needed improvement, and 47% said that adding acoustic panels at the desk would make it easier for them to perform their daily tasks. What’s more, the prevailing practice of making phone calls, having videoconferencing sessions and discussions at the desk made it harder to focus on work for a significant share of employees, discouraging them from coming to the office.

Solution:

We recommended retrofitting workstations with front acoustic panels, wall panels and free-standing upholstered partitions to ensure a barrier and privacy. We divided the open spaces into zones designated to the most frequently undertaken activities and created extra spaces for online/offline meetings such as focus rooms, booths for multiple users and the so-called ‘American diners’ where users are separated while not disturbing other employees. We also supported the client by providing educational materials they could use to show their employees what new possibilities they now had in choosing the right place to carry out their tasks.

Results:

By fine-tuning the number of workstations to the actual attendance of employees in the office (during the week) and using a safe proportion of 7 workstations per 10 hybrid employees we were able to cut back the administration area and increase the communication area. This improved the harmony and usability of the office. Employees were given extra spaces, allowing them to adjust the place of work to the specific type of tasks performed.

By standardising and assigning high-class ergonomic workstations to office-based employees, we have compensated for potential disproportions in work satisfaction between the different work models. We provided support to remote workers by offering the option to rent office furniture to take home.

The desk-sharing system we introduced enabled employees to more freely choose where they want to perform their work in the office, but also increased the buffer for organisational development for the future.?