Many employers are rethinking the purpose of the office, and those who aren’t are missing an opportunity to improve employee recruitment and retention efforts, increase morale and enhance productivity. No longer just a place to park a body, workplaces can serve as an asset for a company’s long-term success – a strategic tool for connecting, resource and information sharing and more.
Forward-thinking employers are moving toward more fluid environments that allow their employees the flexibility to “untether.” The concept – which moves away from traditional assigned seating – enables employees to choose where to do their work based on tasks and preferred working styles. The Steelcase Global Report on Engagement and the Workplace revealed that 88 percent of highly engaged employees feel they have control over their work experience. Gartnerpredicts that by 2020, organizations that promote a “choose your own work style culture” will boost employee retention rates by more than 10 percent. As companies bring back remote/offsite employees and incorporate policies that allow for flex-hours, part-time schedules, job-sharing and unassigned seats, the trend toward an agile, activity-based environment will become an important consideration.
What strategies can be implemented to set untethered employees up for business success?
Consolidate Communication Tools
Employees need to communicate in real time through voice calls, video conferencing, instant messaging platforms, screen-sharing and face-to-face meetings. They also need time-shifted communications, in which parties can respond when they are available. Platforms like Skype for Business and modern phone systems can handle several of these functions in one place. Ideally, you will have the fewest number of applications to cover all of these modes of communication.
These tools should also allow you to locate people. Not for tracking purposes, but to understand how it may impact how you can interact with them and which ways you may choose to do so. Are they here? On vacation? In a remote office? Different time zone?