Hybrid Work Practices are Altering How Office Space is Used

Many businesses, seeking to balance the positives brought by remote work to the value that in-person, face-to-face operations have to offer, have leaned into hybrid work practices. This has led to many reconsidering how their office space is set up. Let’s dive into how these considerations are now shaping the workplace.

In July, a workplace management software development firm called Robin Powered surveyed 247 individuals in charge of their office spaces to compile the 2022 Office Space Report. Let’s begin by pulling some stats from this report to consider.

Most Surveyed Businesses are Using Less Space than Before the COVID-19 Pandemic Started

According to the feedback Robin Powered collected through their survey, only 11% of businesses surveyed were using all of their available space, 46% using half at maximum. To put these numbers in more exact context, about half of these respondents (48%) use less than they did before the pandemic… and of those using half or less of their space, 60% had already made moves to downsize their office space before the pandemic became a factor.

46% of respondents confirmed that 2023 would see further decreases in office space, over half (59%) planning to halve their space at least.

More Businesses are Seeking to Optimize Their Existing Space, Too

If they aren’t decreasing their office space, many businesses are reconsidering how it is used. According to research director Amy Loomis of IDC’s Future of Work research service, many companies aren’t sacrificing space in favor of repurposing it to be more flexible—signaling the end of cubicles in favor of multipurpose rooms, equipped with technologies that promote flexibility and collaboration between remote and on-premise employees. 

A survey by IDC back in April indicated that businesses around the world are shifting their perspectives of the office from a place to work to a place to be collaborative and train.

Today’s Technology Makes Hybrid Operations Much Easier

Naturally, all of this is only possible because of the technology today’s businesses have access to. Mobile devices that enable remote work and the collaborative tools that allow shared progress to be made have proven to be crucial in recent years.

We Can Help Make Your Office a Hybrid-Friendly Space

From cloud services to remote access solutions to mobile-friendly hardware, we can help you procure and manage everything required to support a hybrid work environment. Find out more by giving us a call at (503) 278-5011 today!