Checklist: How to organize a hybrid employee workspace
Recent events in the corporate environment have forced many companies to reconsider their dependence on traditional office space. For some employees, remote offices have increased productivity and provided flexibility that allowed them to work anywhere thanks to devices such as USB headsets with microphones, video conferencing equipment and USB speakerphones. For others, it was a difficult year, which led to the fact that people became introverts.
According to RIA Novosti, almost a quarter of companies in Russia have left almost all employees on the remote, and this figure will only increase every year. However, after the time spent working from home, many employees are looking forward to returning to the offices. After all, they make it possible to share work and personal life, as well as to feel the energy of the team. Switching to a hybrid work option can help in creating a happy team. It is he who can combine the best of both worlds, both for employers and for employees. Dmitry Arkhipov, Director of Business Development at JPL Telecom in Russia and the CIS, talks about what you should pay attention to when organizing a hybrid workplace for an employee.
Psychological comfort
Involve the entire team in the process of discussing the transition to a hybrid format of work: ask how employees can work better, what is necessary for a comfortable organization of processes. Then you will get the full picture, perhaps it is more convenient for someone to work completely in the office, and someone is much more efficient at home or in a cafe. Constantly get feedback on how things are going, as it is very important to “keep your finger on the pulse”.
Clearly stated policies are crucial for understanding the format in which the hybrid model works for everyone. Take the time to think about the rules and recommendations regarding the personal presence, working hours, meeting etiquette, office space use options, and other issues.
Observing the company’s traditions and celebrating joint achievements or round dates, even on Zoom, helps to create certain values, make a contribution to the psychological microclimate of the team.
The most accurate task management will allow you to get an effective return on work. Setting tasks for hybrid work, in fact, is based on the same principles as when working in the office. Project management services will help make the organization’s process more efficient.
Connecting to corporate systems
For high performance of the IT infrastructure, managers and employees should pay special attention to the quality of the Internet connection used. Video conferencing has become the main way of communicating with colleagues and clients, so it is important that the quality of image and sound transmission is high.
To work, you must have access to corporate systems. A VPN connection can provide a secure connection to the corporate network and the Internet. Due to the fact that employees work in home networks, the number of cyber threats, including phishing and DDoS attacks, has increased. Attackers can, for example, send encrypted invitations to online conferences or gain access to video chats. Yes, and it is worth taking care of what to do in case of theft of corporate laptops. By allowing employees to work outside the home and office, the likelihood of corporate devices falling into the wrong hands’ increases. According to AMD, laptops are stolen every 53 seconds.
Every employee should work in a full-fledged comfortable environment. Managers should make sure that their remote team has the resources that are necessary for the quality performance of their duties and the implementation of their tasks. In addition to technical support, it is important to have remote access to documentation: production reports, protocols, and procedure descriptions. Today, it is especially important to use cloud storage and corporate internal networks that are accessible only to employees. The more automated the company is, the less paper document flow it has, the easier it is to ensure the transition of employees to remote mode.
However, it is important to comply with certain information security requirements. According to the Cisco 2021 Data Privacy Benchmark Study, both the importance of privacy and the benefits that companies that implement enhanced security measures receive have increased during the pandemic. For example, the DLP system allows you to track the movement of information in the corporate network, as well as monitor the work of remote employees.
Equipment
The companies “Joy of Understanding” and Tiburon Research ” in their study received the following results: 34% of respondents were dissatisfied with the technical equipment provided during remote work. Most of the specialists did not even have the appropriate equipment. After all, for full-fledged work, not only a computer with a high-speed Internet connection is needed, but also additional components, including a webcam and a headset, providing direct verbal and visual contact between specialists and customers.
Of course, with a laptop or a monoblock, you can always use standard equipment, but many people prefer external devices. The built-in equipment can create extraneous noise and echo. Communication without distortion and voice transmission without interference is an important component for working communication in an online format. It is necessary to have a headset with noise reduction and the “ability” to remove external noise. And the webcam should also not only clearly transmit the image but also, for example, be equipped with a curtain to ensure privacy and an indicator for convenience. Yes, another feature that can be convenient for showing hands is a rotary mechanism that allows you to lower the camera down and show the desktop.
The headset, in fact, allows you to communicate not only with sound comfort but also to create a physically comfortable position for a healthy back. A person speaking on a headset does not need to press the handset to his ear or bend over to the laptop, and in the case of the wireless option, it becomes possible to move around during communication.
Results
While companies are deciding which format of work is more convenient for them, the hybrid approach is likely to remain. But from all of the above, it follows that it is worth paying attention to both technical and psychological aspects so that employees feel confident and can perform corporate tasks as efficiently as possible.
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