Offices post COVID-19

Revolution is all about designs.

We are soon going to enter a post-war like period where major policy changes and regulations would be strictly adhered to. One such reform would definitely be seen in the space of co-working. Significant changes including a smaller yet motivated workforce, disruptive thinking and innovation at every aspect of working, means that every company should have to modernize themselves both in form and provision. Gone would be the days where the entire workforce would be expected to attend the office. Having said that here are a few trends that would we are most likely to notice over the coming months. These trends are already under discussion and incorporation in several organizations.

Trend 1: Selection of effective workers

More and more MNCs would naturally tend to identify and select those workers who show efficiency in the work they do. This means that only those workers would be expected to be present at the office on every workday and that all the other workers would have the option to work from home. The efficient workers would be given higher pay and benefits including faster promotion. The knowledge-based human capital would continue to lead this revolution where not only the company but also the workers would grow as leaders of the industry. This method would also weed out the redundant workers and leads to efficient utilisation of the workforce. We all would’ve noticed a few employees because whom the energy in the team drops often. This method would thus effectively enable the managers to remove the negativity and boost the morale of the team

Trend 2: Frequent team-building activities

After a couple of months working from home, there would be a deficiency in the communication, regularity and integrity of the team. Hence, companies would ensure that the number of team building activities is increased, at least for another quarter. This is where companies with lesser workforce and those without a human resource management team would struggle. Therefore, it would be advisable to hire freelancers who organise such team morale boosting activities.

Trend 3: IoT and enhanced productivity

There is a massively untapped opportunity in the physical office space becoming smarter and smarter. As devices become smarter, and voice recognition becomes better, it’s not unfathomable for work environments to become chambers of ideal scenarios. If the smart office knows that the employee in the back office does his best work starting at 10:00 a.m. and typically crashes around 2:00 p.m., the smart assistant will (as often as possible) block those hours off for deep work. The smart office may also know the employee tends to turn the lights down a bit in order to focus, so it will dim the lights right at 10:00 a.m. to prompt the habit of deep work. The same goes for the temperature in the room, maybe the sound of light music playing from the speaker in the corner—all things the employee may do from time to time to help herself focus, except now they’ll be done automatically in order to create the ideal work environment.

Trend 4: Home-like offices

There would again be a need to design a working space that feels more like home. This means that lesser noise but more homely distractions like a well-stocked kitchen or a cafeteria and more. This would help to build a good relationship among the employees. Given the gravity of the situation, some companies may need to get the builders in, either for a retrofit, or a more radical rebuild. With good ventilation being key to preventing the spread of COVID-19, a big trend could be simply opening a window - if windows can be opened, that is, since many offices are now sealed, controlled units.