How can the Office Manager Contribute to Creating a Flexible Working Environment?
I’m sure you’ve heard the buzzwords “flexible working” or “hybrid working” being thrown around in the last couple of years. If you work in an office, it’s also likely that there has been some discussion about introducing flexible working environments within your own workplace. But what does this mean in reality? How can this be achieved in practice, and what will it mean for the average office manager?
HOW OFFICE MANAGERS CAN HELP SET UP FLEXIBLE WORKING?
It can be tough to figure out where to start, but there are some very basic things office managers can do to help set up a flexible working environment. For example, flexibility doesn’t necessarily mean doing away with cubicles and desks completely. Instead, it might involve allowing employees to occasionally work from home—or even giving them space to set up their own office in a remote location.
To make flexible working a reality, there are some practical tips you can use to help your employees get work done. For example, if an employee has her own office space outside of your office, encourage her to bring her laptop and go over her work at a local coffee shop or library.
In addition, flexible working doesn’t necessarily mean allowing workers to work remotely 100% of the time. A balance between on-site and remote work is ideal for most companies—and it’s also one that might benefit both employees and employers.
Employees who occasionally work from home often find they can be more productive than those who spend all their time in the office. They also tend to feel a greater sense of autonomy which can contribute to enhanced job satisfaction. Giving workers more flexibility with their schedules may actually enable them to produce better results for your company.
Keeping employees motivated while hybrid working
The office manager is responsible for creating an optimal work environment for employees. This means understanding that not everyone works best in a regular nine to five. In fact, while some workers are most productive working into their evenings or afternoons; other employees may be better suited to an earlier flexible schedule.
By learning more about your staff members and working to create a hybrid working environment, you can make sure your people are as productive and motivated as possible.
Three tips to get started with flexible working:
#1: Assess Your Staff:
To determine how best to enable hybrid working, start by assessing your staff. Take note of each employee’s unique strengths and weaknesses, then look at how these affect their work habits. Some individuals thrive on consistency—meaning they should stick with a traditional Monday through Friday schedule—while others need room for flexibility.
#2: Create an Optimal Work Environment:
Once you know which employees are most likely to benefit from hybrid working, create an optimal work environment that will help them do their best work. For example, if you have an employee who is most productive later in the day and evening, consider scheduling team meetings and activities to accommodate this as far as possible.
#3: Be Considerate of Other Employees:
Finally, be considerate of other employees when creating hybrid working environments. If someone isn’t comfortable with flexible schedules, don’t force him or her into one just because it might be more convenient for you; instead, find another solution that still allows your team members to perform at their highest level.
The goal of flexible working is simple—to enable employees to work when, where and how they want to work
The reality however of making it happen can be surprisingly complex. Which tools you choose will depend on the type of flexibility you’re providing and your company’s needs.
5 Smart tools for enabling the hybrid working office
Here’s our pick of five smart tools for enabling the hybrid working office:
Cloud-based conferencing services like Microsoft Teams or Zoom enable colleagues to connect from wherever they are with their laptops or mobile devices, giving them more control over their schedule.
Online collaboration apps like Slack allow people to communicate with each other from different locations and have real-time conversations about projects without having to be in the same place at once.
Remote access solutions such as GoToMyPC give employees remote access to their desktops so they can work as if they were in an office, even if they aren’t.
The mobile-friendly features of popular business software such as Microsoft 365 can enable employees to do work on their smartphones and tablets, so they can access and manage data even when they’re not sitting at their desks.
One of the simplest tools for enabling a hybrid office is one that’s often overlooked: co-location. Instead of forcing employees to stay at their desks, have them sit together in an open layout, and potentially consider flexible layouts based on project teams and needs. Additionally, technology like Flex Parking, enables resources such as company car parks to be shared within the team, further adding to the convenience and flexibility a hybrid working environment can provide.