FUTURE OF WORKPLACE: REIMAGINING WORKSPACE IN NEW NORMAL

Coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on our lives and even impacted our workplaces. The design trends over the last three to four years have revolved around having a work environment that was more agile. The focus was to have more open workplaces, end user-specific areas. The central idea was to promote stress-free culture. The design language was more purposeful and there was thoughtful consideration of the arrangement of desks, the easy availability of work-enabling tech, inviting lighting, proper flow of foot traffic and conducive meeting spaces. There was also an emphasis on making sure how the room smells as research shows that it influences how its inhabitants think, act, create and collaborate. The idea behind it was to design a workplace that should reduce stress but increase natural interactions among co-workers, fostering better collaboration and business results.

However, as soon as the pandemic started, organisations were forced to go back to the drawing boards and to re-imagine the workplace in order to cater to the new normal.

In response to the first wave

As soon as the cases started to decline, the immediate priority for organisations was to bring people back to work as quickly and safely as possible. At that time, people were wary of the personal and economic toll the pandemic had taken on their lives. So most people were keen to get back and earn their livelihood and provide for their families. However, it was left to businesses to build an environment that was conducive to working and also to instil trust amongst their employees.

What this meant for the organisations was to retrofit the workplace with what they had, using the health guidelines available at that time. As per the guidelines, workplaces could have only up to 50 percent of the workforce.

In order to keep the employees safe, the design ideas that the organisation adopted were sensible as well as practical. Sensible strategies included practising physical distancing, like moving desks apart and removing chairs, adding barriers, enhancing cleaning and safety measures, in addition to supporting those who are working from home.

Tech-enabled workspaces

Technology has always been at the forefront of any future of work conversation and in this post-pandemic world, it has taken centre stage. Many organisations have started to use technology to make sure that their workplaces are safe and adhering to all the norms that have been set in place.

Some of the measures introduced include pre-entry wellness checks, no-touch entry into the building, social distancing sensors to ensure adequate distance at all times and autonomous cleaning solutions. As organisations toy with hybrid models of working, various online tools are also being used to map and schedule work timetables and the flow of employees. It is also a great way to make sure that only the essential employees travel to the office while the rest can continue to work from home.

Another essential element for every workplace is to maintain hygiene at every touchpoint. So, every appliance, every entry/ exit and every workstation needs to be cleaned and sanitized at a regular interval. There are structured routes being mapped in some workplaces to map the movement of people. What this essentially means is that rather than taking any particular way to the workstation or zigzagging across the office, people will have to follow a particular circular route.

Under this, employees will enter from one way and exit from another to avoid any overlaps.

Companies are also adopting new layouts in the space to help physical distancing feel more comfortable such as adding new elements to workstations, like glass or higher screens. New bleach-cleanable fabrics are being introduced that are easier to clean and maintain. Smart materials and nature-focused office design are being adopted to boost air quality and circulation.

Way Forward

As organisations reinvent the workplace, science-based solutions will integrate with emerging technology to deliver employee safety and an even higher level of employee well-being. This will result in planning paradigms driven by density and costs shifting. Organisations will become more adaptable and fluid instead of fixed. Employees will have a whole new appreciation for being together and will want to feel a renewed sense of community. Virtual and physical experiences will bring people together in new ways to create a sense of belonging.

Moving forward, many organisations are likely to reconsider their corporate real estate footprint. This may involve downsizing or redistributing space to satellite offices. The past year and a half has already proved that a completely remote workforce seems unlikely, given the intangible benefits of social connection, collaboration, and innovation that in-person working provides. Nonetheless, it will be crucial to create optimal conditions for employees to work remotely as well as in the office.

Furthermore, to stay ahead of the curve, companies will need to consider key investments across wellness, remote collaboration tools, mobile cyber security, accessible HR tools, and workforce training programs for professional development and upskilling.

- Vinit Dungarwal

Director, AMs Project Consultants 

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