More and more businesses are lifting their restrictions and allowing employees to return to the office. However, now that many workers have seen they can perform their job virtually, it has them questioning if they can just continue working from home.

The solution to this quandary is that many workplaces will now adopt a hybrid model. This means part of the workforce will remain virtual, while others will be present on site.

That’s quite a departure from the environment most people are familiar with. Fortunately, courtesy of Sushil Goyal at Dataquest, there are some practical steps to prepare for converting to a hybrid office.

Enable Video Conferencing for Whenever Necessary

If you want to run a true hybrid office then video cameras should be standard on all the computers so it is easy for employees to connect to whoever they need. And for meetings you want to make sure that at the very least you have a laptop ready to support a video call. Don’t leave your virtual team members as an afterthought.

Utilize the Physical Office in New Ways

If you know you will regularly have less people physically in the office now, then put that space to use in another fashion. Some offices have soundproof booths for phone calls so you can have an important conversation without distraction. You can set up more individualized offices, research rooms, or multiple meeting spaces of varying size.

Invest in Quality Tools

Even if a worker chooses to work in-person, they will still need to be able to get in touch with other employees who are not physically there. Professional communication is no time to skimp, so be sure the office has quality microphones and speakers set up, as well as current video devices. Nobody likes dealing with choppy video and scratchy audio.

The hybrid setup is going to be new for many workplaces, so it will inevitably have some growing pains. The important thing is to be adaptable and to listen to employees to ensure even your virtual staff continue to feel like part of the team.

To learn more about how to structure an office for hybrid work, read the original article from Dataquest here.

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With over 30 years in business, Haverford Systems Inc. is a GOLD Level Certified Zoom Integration partner and the Delaware Valley’s most experienced audiovisual design and integration company. 

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