Dan Bladen, Author at Kadence

UK Work Law Is Changing. Here’s What It Means For Your Company.

Posted on March 25, 2024March 21, 2024 by Dan Bladen

Big changes have been announced to UK Work Law that supports employees looking for flexibility.

From April 6, all employees in UK businesses will be legally entitled to request changes to how long, when and where they work. Employers will only be able to reject requests on specific grounds.

It’s a huge milestone for hybrid work in the UK. The policy follows a string of legislative action in Europe, and broader movements bringing hybrid work to the forefront of the modern workplace.

So how can you prepare for these changes to UK Work Law as an employer in the UK and elsewhere?

Europe moves towards hybrid work

In Europe, legal infrastructure to support flexible work has been gathering momentum for some time.

Since remote work soared during the pandemic, multiple European countries have rallied to provide proper hybrid frameworks for employers and employees.

The Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Ireland are just a few countries that have established — or are in the process of establishing — structures around how and where we work.

So it’s no surprise that the UK Work Law is now following suit with its own change in legislation. The new flexible working laws give all employees the legal right to request flexible working from the first day of their employment. Employers will have to cite one of eight business reasons as grounds for rejecting these requests.

Flexible work is gathering momentum, and European governments are spearheading the movement.

The impact of hybrid work is clear

This recent surge in official policies around hybrid work might not come as a surprise.

Recent research has made it abundantly clear that when we are flexible, we’re also happier, more engaged and productive.

A recent study by Gallup showed that 60% of respondents felt hybrid work helped reduce their burnout, while another 85% of people said they preferred hybrid models.

On the productivity front, research shows that fully flexible companies outperform others with a 16% lead in revenue growth.

The roadblocks are clearing. We’re finally able to move towards a model where people get to choose where they do their best work — and reap the rewards for it.

The next step is preparing our organizations for even bigger changes ahead. Now that modern work is less about where and more about how, it’s time to start getting smarter about how we organize our teams, and how we utilize physical spaces.

Give your office a makeover

For years, we didn’t have a choice about where we could go and work. It was the office or nothing.

Now that employees can just as easily get all their tasks done from home, it’s up to office managers and HR departments to ensure the office is an attractive place to come into. A destination, if you will. Nobody wants to spend two hours commuting into a bland, uninspiring space.

So it’s time to give the office a major facelift. To make it a place your employees want to spend time in. A place where they can get all sorts of tasks done — with focus booths for deep work and inviting open desk spaces for their everyday admin and cross-table chit chats with colleagues.

Most importantly – it’s time to make the office a place where your teams can collaborate together in ways they could never at home. That might involve arranging office neighbourhoods to get the right colleagues sitting by each other, introducing social zones for casual chats, or planning your meeting room spaces so they’re inspiring, colorful, creative hubs — not dreary white-walled boxes.

Lastly of all — don’t forget to make it green! Nobody has ever felt dragged down by a bonsai tree.

Get smarter about your hybrid work platform

The growth of hybrid work also comes with complications about how you manage your people.

With employees coming and going from your physical office and their home set ups at will, it can be harder than ever to keep track of where team members are, and how they’re going about their work.

That’s where a hybrid operating platform comes in.

Teams navigating the hybrid age need to ensure they’re partnering with tools that help them solve their hybrid headaches — rather than adding to them. Platforms like Kadence don’t just offer simple room and desk booking features — they are designed to help you bring teammates together when it makes most sense, so you never miss out on an opportunity to collaborate. That could involve being pinged when your teammates have booked a desk in a workspace nearby, or being part of a recurring office day with your wider team.

Hybrid work platforms are also built with the interests of business owners in mind. If you’re worried about how efficiently you’re using your spaces, tools like Kadence will give you all of the data and insights you need to make smart decisions about your real estate. By showing you the exact usage of your physical spaces (and flexible workspaces, if your platform supports it!) your hybrid work companion will empower you to make the right decisions about your real estate going forward.

It can also be a strong contributor to your company’s ESG goals. By leveraging insights about office occupancy trends and any underused areas, you can take action straight away to switch off inactive work zones or group hot desks together. The result? Lower building emissions and a reduction in your carbon footprint.

Understanding exactly what different hybrid work platforms can offer you is the first step to working with a partner that will grow with you for years to come.

The UK has become the latest country to put a marker down for flexible work.

I hope I’ve showed you how the move to flexible working doesn’t have to come at the cost of the physical office — nor the organization of your people.

The more we transition to fluid ways of working, and the more governments actively encourage it, the more we need to pair with the right technology to help fully support us along the way.

Hybrid work platforms aren’t just tools to help us manage a more flexible workplace, they’re catalysts for change. They support the shift towards a model that values output over presence, wellbeing alongside productivity, and choice over rigidity.

In doing so, they not only respond to the current legislative and cultural shifts but also pave the way for a future where work is more adaptable, more humane, and ultimately, more rewarding.

If you’d like to hear more about hybrid work platforms and what they can do for you, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you!

Dan Bladen

Dan is at the helm of Kadence with a sole mission to turn workplaces into vibrant, happy spaces where everyone can thrive. When he’s not busy changing the world of work, you’ll find Dan soaking up the natural, untamed beauty of California’s outdoors with his family on camping adventures.

Introducing Kadence AI for Team Scheduling and Space Booking

Posted on November 9, 2023January 3, 2024 by Dan Bladen

In the dynamic landscape of hybrid work, where flexibility and agility are paramount, and not forgetting the rise of workplace AI, Kadence is proud to introduce a game-changing addition to our platform: Kadence AI.

Our latest hybrid work tool is poised to revolutionize the way you manage your workspace, interact with your teammates, and navigate the complexities of daily work.

Ultimately, Kadence AI will make your workday smoother, more efficient, and ultimately more productive.

Streamlining the Hybrid Work Experience

We understand that in today’s hybrid work environment, coordination and collaboration can be a challenge. Coordinating with teammates, finding and booking the right workspace, and aligning schedules should be seamless, but often, they are far from it. These essential tasks can be time-consuming, leaving you with less headspace to focus on your actual work.

Kadence AI steps in to tackle these challenges head-on. Imagine a digital assistant that not only simplifies your workspace booking but also provides real-time insights into your teammates’ office plans.

Here’s how Kadence AI transforms your hybrid work experience:

Discover when your teammates are going to the office

1. Effortless Team Coordination

No more endless back-and-forths to figure out when your teammates are heading to the office. Kadence AI keeps you in the loop, notifying you when your colleagues plan to be in the office. It’s like having a personal assistant dedicated to keeping your team connected.

Kadence hybrid workplace AI team coordination software

Book Multiple Desks With A Single Prompt

2. Swift Workspace Booking

Booking a desk, meeting room, or collaborative workspace has never been easier. With Kadence AI, you can reserve a space just by asking Kadence, saving you valuable time. It understands your preferences and suggests the most suitable spaces based on your needs.

Kadence hybrid workplace AI desk booking software

Easily Stay On Top Of Your Schedule

3. Efficient Schedule Management

Managing your bookings is a breeze. Whether you need to cancel, modify, or create new reservations, Kadence AI handles it all. No more navigating through complex booking systems—your assistant simplifies the process for you.

Kadence hybrid workplace AI desk management software

Let Kadence Manage Your Bookings So You Don’t Have To

Amplified Team Productivity

For teams that thrive on collaboration, Kadence AI offers advanced features like booking multiple desks for your team at once or reserving spaces in a specific neighborhood. It streamlines the process, ensuring your team can work together seamlessly, whether in-person or remotely.

Elevate Your Workday

With Kadence AI, you’re not just streamlining your hybrid work experience; you’re elevating it. Here’s how:

Efficiency: Save time and reduce friction in everyday tasks.
Connectedness: Stay in sync with your teammates, no matter where they work.
Productivity: Focus on your work, not on navigating complex scheduling issues.
Flexibility: Adapt effortlessly to changing hybrid work dynamics.

Kadence AI is not just a tool; it’s a transformational partner in your hybrid work journey.

Say goodbye to the hassles of scheduling, space booking, and teammate coordination — and say hello to a more streamlined, efficient, and connected workday.

At Kadence, we’re committed to helping organizations find the right path forward in the complex world of hybrid work. Let us show you how Kadence AI could totally transform your experience of work.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

How Workplace AI Will Transform The Way We Work

Posted on November 6, 2023January 3, 2024 by Dan Bladen

In a world rapidly being transformed by artificial intelligence, how we work is evolving at an astonishing rate; especially with the rise of hybrid workplace AI.

The implications are profound, and they touch every aspect of our professional lives. From copywriting to coding, and schedule management to creative brainstorming — AI has become an invaluable work partner overnight.

Many are apprehensive about AI and its role in the job market. 37% of Americans are said to be worried about AI displacing them from their jobs, while projections estimate that automation could eliminate 73 million US jobs by 2030.

As we navigate the next phase in our relationship with AI, Kadence is committed to being at the forefront of change. We strongly believe in focusing on how AI can bring out the best in people, and help us get our best work done.

Below are not just our projections for how workplace AI will shape (and is shaping!) the future — they are our pledge to continue delivering game-changing products that help people flourish at work — alongside AI.

Optimization, in real-time

There’s a reason that experts predict AI will boost global growth by 4-6% per annum.

Workplace optimization and automation are coming in thick and fast — and so are the growth benefits associated with them.

For most companies that work under today’s hybrid model, optimization is an asynchronous, ongoing task. This means that business leaders spend a lot of their time trying to figure out how to get the best results from their resources – and a lot of their time waiting for these results to show.

This is the first major way we’ll see workplace AI have an impact. Once fully AI-assisted, workplaces will begin to optimize synchronously – with the right measures applied as and when they appear as possibilities to managers.

This impact will be seen across every area of a company’s operations: from the way a physical office space is managed and organized to the daily intricacies of scheduling and bringing people together.

A shapeshifting workspace

There’s no getting around it – physical offices have taken a big hit in recent years. As a result, average office utilization rates are down at just 60%, and real estate value is estimated to drop up to $1.3 trillion in value by 2030.

In short, the role and purpose of physical office space are in crisis — and in dire need of transformation.

AI is poised to play a crucial role in that transformation.

With the right implementation of workplace AI, the physical workspace will become a flexible hub, catering to the specific Kadence and preferences of each employee. Trained on the data it’s given, your hybrid work AI will suggest regular updates to office neighborhoods and work areas, and it will allocate rooms and desks according to their optimal usage.

The days of searching for a meeting room or a quiet spot to focus will be long in the past — your workplace AI will have optimized your time in the office and made sure you’re always in the best place to get work done.

It’s time to give the office a facelift!

The end of human schedule management

57% of workers surveyed by Timewatch revealed they don’t feel in control of their working schedules for at least two days a week. That’s a lot of uncertainty for a lot of people.

Luckily for them, us, and you, we’re about to see the end of human schedule management – at least on a professional level.

That’s because AI in the workplace will soon be on hand to organize and refine your work schedule in real time. For example:

You were supposed to have a team meeting in the office, but two of your colleagues cannot attend physically. Your hybrid work AI clocks that the majority of people are attending remotely, and sends you a smart suggestion ahead of your trip into the office — saving you a commute.
You always meet remotely with your line manager because you’re based in different cities. But — as it happens — they are in town to meet with the CEO this week and forgot to tell you. Not to worry — your workplace AI has taken note, and suggested a physical meeting room for your catch-up. You get to meet face-to-face for the first time.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. In time, hybrid work AI will purr away in the background, pulling the strings behind you and your colleagues’ work schedules — ensuring everyone’s time is in perfect harmony with their surroundings.

AI-powered ESG

Perhaps the broadest application of workplace AI will be how it caters to a company’s overarching business strategy. Desk booking, room booking, and team coordination may all seem like formalities — but, stacked up, they make up a substantial part of a company’s bottom line.

Workplace AI will not only act as a tool that helps us navigate the complexities of everyday work; it’ll become a partner in achieving wider organizational goals.

Whether the objective is to boost productivity, reduce environmental impact, or enhance employee satisfaction and happiness, workplace AI will act as our strategic ally in ensuring our work always goes towards the right common goals.

For companies that openly disclose and seek to reduce their environmental impact (estimated to be over 70% by KPMG) – the implications will be dramatic. Hybrid work AI will be on hand to optimize corporate carbon footprint — whether that be through switching off underused office neighborhoods, suggesting optimal schedules for office attendance based on its energy usage data, or even arranging smart commuting or car-sharing initiatives.

For those organizations that are equally concerned with fair hiring practices and transparent governance, workplace AI will be able to point to blind spots and help companies introduce timely policies to keep to their targets.

The future of ESG is around the corner — and AI assists it.

Shared intuition

The ultimate vision we have for future hybrid organizations is the development of shared intuition between workers and their hybrid work AI.

This means an AI assistant that deeply understands your preferences, anticipates your needs, and guides you toward the best choices on a daily — even hourly — basis.

We spend so much time sweating the small stuff at work: schedule clashes, miscommunication about office attendance, and the pressure of having to manage the minutiae of your work life. So much so, in fact, that we forget about the big stuff: feeling part of a flourishing company, collaborating with our teammates, producing amazing results together.

Workplace AI will deal with the small stuff precisely in a way that also maximizes the big stuff. Understanding what makes you and your team tick, it’ll ensure that each and every tiny decision contributes to your own personal bottom line: feeling happy and fulfilled at work.

Kadence and the future of work

At Kadence, we won’t just be bystanders as the world of work undergoes some of its most dramatic changes.

We vow to be right there at the forefront — guiding and leading the introduction of workplace AI into our workflows, and making sure it always acts in the interest of people, profits, and the planet.

That’s why we’ve been hard at work building something that will be the first step towards our vision of the future. A hybrid work AI tool that will help us all transition into the next phase of AI-assisted work.

Get in touch with us today and let us show you how your AI-enhanced workplace could look.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

How Your Hybrid Workplace AI Will Learn With You – and Why It Matters

Posted on September 5, 2023February 12, 2024 by Dan Bladen

Imagine a world where your Hybrid Workplace AI-driven Kadence assistant shares your intuition, guiding you on where to be, who to collaborate with, and optimizing your work environment in real-time. On top of that, it even begins to anticipate your needs, surfacing recommendations for opportunities you haven’t even considered yet.

That dream? It’s closer than you think. As we usher in an era of smart suggestions, let’s journey through the teething problems and enormous potential of our AI-enhanced workplaces.

Hybrid workplace AI tools aim to personalize your work experience, yet we must ensure data collected remains secure from the outset, adhering strictly to global data protection standards. The promise of AI optimization cannot come at the cost of trust and confidentiality – and Kadence is committed to integrating AI sustainably and responsibly.

Starting out of the box

We all know the feeling of buying a new smartphone. Out of the box, it doesn’t quite know our preferences yet… this feels good but it’s not mine yet.

Embarking on our Hybrid Workplace AI-assisted journey, the initial experience with Kadence AI might feel similar. Trained on datasets reflecting general working habits, its early recommendations about collaborations, locations, or schedules might not feel entirely “you”.

In short, it might suck. In the early days, you might be puzzled as to why it is so important that you stay at home on the third Thursday of every month; why you are always shoved into the ugliest corner of the office; how your team always seems to be missing one key member when it meets in the office.

Getting over this hump will take time — but it’ll be worth it.

The power of reinforcement learning

This is where the magic starts to happen. Reinforcement learning (RL) is a form of training whereby an AI model evolves by interacting with its environment, observing outcomes, and recalibrating its strategies.

The more you interact with the AI, the more unique data points it gathers. This continual feedback loop allows your Kadence AI to seamlessly adapt to ever-changing conditions, making sense of your working habits.

Say you consistently decline those Thursday WFH suggestions — Kadence AI, leveraging the principles of RL, will adjust accordingly. Similarly, if you’re frequently booking bi-monthly marketing collaborations, the AI will pivot its suggestions, shaping them around this observed behavior.

With each interaction, the AI refines its recommendations, truly understanding the unique Kadence of your professional life. This adaptability leads to a tailored user experience, optimizing operations, enhancing interactions, and potentially unearthing avenues for workplace innovations.

The sooner it learns, the better job it will do of helping you be in the right place, at the right time, with the right people – to do your best work.

Birth of shared intuition

This is where everything just starts to click.

This isn’t just about AI understanding your work preferences — it’s about creating a deeper synergy with you, a shared intuition.

Imagine this: it’s Monday, and you’re always at your peak productivity in that serene office nook by the window — so the AI has reserved your preferred spot in advance. On Wednesday next week, the VP of Marketing from out of town is making a last-minute visit — a day you’re normally remote. Kadence AI, spotting the opportunity, nudges you to consider switching your remote day, giving you a prime chance for some face-to-face collaboration.

Then, on Thursday night, while you’re sleeping, your colleague cancels their desk booking for a meeting you were supposed to have. No worries. Kadence AI has a notification ready for you first thing in the morning, ensuring you sidestep an unnecessary commute and pivot your day with ease.

This harmony of preferences doesn’t just lead to heightened efficiency and productivity; it also means a more satisfying rhythm to your life.

The stress of micromanaging your schedule diminishes because Kadence AI is already three steps ahead. It’s evolved from being a tool to being a partner, helping you simplify what might otherwise be an overwhelming amount of information.

Aligning with organizational goals

Let’s zoom out a bit. Individual preferences are one thing, but the larger organizational goals will also be an important guide to the learning trajectory of future workplace AI.

Companies with a sustainability pledge, for example, can mold their AI to resonate with those values. Maybe it prioritizes virtual brainstorms over car journeys or flights to reduce the carbon footprint.

Or, if a company’s value is believing in power-focused work, the AI becomes adept at discerning when and where its team members achieve peak focus.

In essence, Kadence AI doesn’t just adapt to the individual but also aligns with the organizational ethos, ensuring everyone is on the same wavelength, the right Kadence.

The teething phase with workplace AI is inevitable and, frankly, necessary.

There’ll be quirks, a few head-scratching suggestions, perhaps even a laugh or two.

But that’s just the prelude. What follows is a tailored, intuitive experience that utterly transforms the way we work.

So let’s get going – and embrace the initial uncertainties, and guide our AI — because on the other side of the hill awaits an invaluable partner to our workplace productivity and satisfaction.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

We’ve forgotten the true meaning of collaboration. Here’s why.

Posted on August 9, 2023February 12, 2024 by Dan Bladen

I recently came across a LinkedIn piece that argued we collaborate too much. It suggested that unending virtual meetings and calls were bloating our schedules, and Team Collaboration took a back seat.

It led me to think – in our evolving hybrid work environment, are we still clear on what ‘collaboration’ truly means, and more importantly, how it fuels performance?

These routine virtual check-ins can consume more time than we intend, but labeling all such interactions as collaboration seems like a stretch.

Perhaps it’s high time we reoriented our understanding of collaboration, focusing not just on its process but primarily on its outcomes and contribution to business performance.

Collaboration is rooted in community

We’ve been teaming up to solve problems and make decisions since prehistoric times.

As small groups of hunters and gatherers, we understood the power of collective action – the need to work together to secure food and protect our tribe from predators.

The instinct to gather for shared benefit is what a community is at its core. It’s a group of individuals working together with shared goals, understanding that they can achieve more as a group than they could alone. This sense of belonging, trust, and camaraderie, lays the groundwork for collaboration.

Work is a crucial part of community

Fast forward to the Industrial Revolution and the sweeping shift towards urban lifestyles, and our idea of ‘community’ underwent a dramatic transformation. Proximity increased, but paradoxically, personal connections weakened.

Meanwhile, a new type of community—our coworkers—started playing a pivotal role in our lives.

These relationships were cultivated based on shared tasks and goals, challenges overcome together, and triumphs celebrated as a team. Coworker communities became engines for productivity and performance — and important sources of life satisfaction and fulfillment.

Communication doesn’t equal collaboration

The modern-day transition to remote work has led many to ramp up their interactions with colleagues. Virtual stand-ups, alignment calls, digital team lunches – you name it. But equating those activities with collaboration overlooks the very origins and purpose of the word.

Collaboration is not merely about staying in touch. It’s about collective action and output — getting together with a set of shared goals to drive innovation and boost productivity.

This can happen digitally for certain tasks. For most things, though, in-person collaboration is the trump card.

Making collaboration happen more often

So how do we ensure we play this trump card as often as possible?

We give team members and managers the right tools to coordinate with one another and collaborate when it suits them best. We empower them to make use of their company’s physical office space to meet and work on projects together.

With that in mind, we are thrilled to introduce Team Kadences. It’s a feature that helps team managers schedule recurring in-person team meetings based on their colleagues’ availability and preferences.

In an age where a lot of work occurs remotely, our focus should not just be on facilitating communication. It should be on ensuring communication converts to collaboration — and that collaboration always happens in the right environment, with the right Kadence.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

4 Ways Hybrid Work Supports Happy Teams and Families

Posted on June 26, 2023February 12, 2024 by Dan Bladen

One of the foundational pillars of Hybrid Work support is human flourishing.

It sounds grandiose and impressive: but what does it mean in practice?

Much is written about the benefits associated with work flexibility and autonomy, and the ability to decide where and how you can get your best work done.

But how about the dynamic specifically between work life and family life? How and why does a hybrid work solution help humans flourish on both a professional and personal level?

In this piece, we’ll look at the 4 different ways hybrid work supports happy teams and families.

1. Hybrid work accounts for complexity

Life is complicated. Every one of us has thousands of commitments and responsibilities that exist both inside and outside the realm of work.

Hybrid work is set up to acknowledge that complexity. It recognizes that employees are not just workers – they’re also parents, partners, and caregivers.

By providing the flexibility to choose where and how to work, hybrid work enables individuals to navigate the ebb and flow of everyday life.

For parents – that’s a game-changer. Their jobs no longer need to come at the expense of involvement in their children’s and relatives’ lives — they actively mold to accommodate them.

Whether that means picking up school run duties in the morning, or staying at home to care for a sick child, or attending spontaneous parent-teacher meetings — hybrid work exists as a framework to deal with the unpredictability of family life.

2. Family is the number one priority

We’ve all been on a call with coworkers who have had a baby or toddler on their lap. Or we’ve been that coworker ourselves!

The truth is – the shift towards remote working has done wonders for raising awareness and support for working parents.

In past years, with strict office-based mandates, employees would often find themselves in a position where the family came in second place to their work. Organizing childcare and parenting responsibilities was something that had to happen around the working schedule, and not within it.

With hybrid work, however, employees have the autonomy to manage their work schedules down to the last minute. This opens up the door for them to manage family responsibilities on their terms while keeping on top of their professional commitments at the same time.

The inherent flexibility offered by hybrid work means that family can become the priority – because it is a system that understands that people will do their best work when they are in control of the where and how of what they do.

3. Happy employees make happy parents, and vice versa

The satisfaction and well-being of employees directly impact their effectiveness as parents. A recent study showed that higher family-to-work conflict is linked to lower satisfaction in both one’s professional and personal life.

Furthermore, the research showed that those two forms of satisfaction are positively correlated. — one spur on the other.

Hybrid work, with its core emphasis on work-life balance, fosters happier and more fulfilled employees. When individuals feel supported and in control of their work and personal arrangements, they experience reduced stress levels and increased satisfaction overall.

This positive mindset and emotional well-being spill over into their role as parents, enabling them to be more patient, attentive, and emotionally available for their children.

The same is true the other way around — a flourishing family life contributes towards a flourishing professional life.

4. Hybrid work is about being present

Down to its essence, hybrid work is a system that helps people be more present in the two most important areas of their lives: work and home.

In a traditional office setting, parents can miss out on key moments that are developing in their children’s lives.

In a traditional home setting (fully remote work), employees are missing out on key moments that are developing in their teams and work communities.

Marrying those two things is the ultimate goal of hybrid work, and the result is employees who are more present and intentional in both their work life and family lives.

Striking a balance between professional aspirations and family responsibilities is no longer an elusive dream — it’s a tangible reality.

Don’t get me wrong — there are challenges. How do you set boundaries between personal and work life? How do you stay distraction-free at home?

Though we don’t yet have all the answers — I guarantee you we’ll find them in nuance and balance, not in strict mandates or rigid systems.

Recently, the debate has turned towards a so-called flexibility divide in modern working culture. Some companies are forcing people into the office, while others are championing remote work.

We need to stop thinking of one-size-fits-all solutions. Everyone is different, and everyone leads their own complex lives — both inside and outside of work.

That’s why hybrid work is such an important formula — and one I hope you consider for your team and organization.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

Unlocking Team Coordination: The 5 Benefits of Hybrid Work Software

Posted on May 10, 2023March 1, 2024 by Dan Bladen

The working world in 2023 is complex. So what Hybrid Work Software do you use?

Most companies are operating some kind of hybrid work model — where employees have the choice to work from home or from the office.

As positive as hybrid work is for employee wellbeing and work-life balance, it also leaves one fundamental question: how do you keep your team coordinated?

In this post, we’ll explore how vital it is to have dedicated Hybrid Work Software in place for managing hybrid work — and how it could transform your team coordination goals this year.

1. See the bigger picture

The office is no longer the rigid, consistently populated space it used to be.

People come and go as they please, and it can be very hard to get an overview of their movement — let alone ensure team coordination doesn’t suffer as a result.

Hybrid work software gives you the bigger picture, by providing a clear overview of the week’s office attendance – including which teams and individuals are planning to go in, and which desks, areas, and meeting rooms are in high demand.

Team coordination depends on employees having the same access to important information – and there’s no information more important than where your colleagues are choosing to spend their time to collaborate.

With the right hybrid work tool, your team will stay in touch with the bigger picture and regain the ability to make proper plans for their future office attendance.

2. Choose the schedule that works for you

Team coordination in a hybrid world is so much more than just making sure everyone is in the office three days a week.

It’s about realizing that everyone has a unique life situation and allowing them to choose a schedule that fits around their lives.

Hybrid work software is designed to recognize that fact. By giving you a granular breakdown of what’s happening in the week ahead, and allowing you to book a desk on any given day, for any given duration, your hybrid tool acts as your companion for building a schedule that works for you.

An illustration of Kadence's Hybrid Work Software Homepage Dashboard, showing employees who's in the office and when your teammates are going in so you can book a space.

Coming into a physical workspace is no longer an obligation — it’s a benefit and a perk. That’s why it’s so important to give your employees the right reasons and the right platform to make use of this perk — at their own Kadence.

A coordinated team is not one that is forced together — it’s one that purposely moves in the same direction.

3. Nudge people together

More and more, we’re seeing how radical, one-size-fits-all solutions work against a company’s productivity or team coordination goals.

The idea that uniformity leads to coordination and growth is outdated. Our new world relies on nuance and flexibility.

Rather than forcing people to go into the office, how about sending them intelligent nudges based on concrete projects and goals?

That’s precisely what the right hybrid work software will do for you. Seeing key moments or colleague movements in your week ahead, your hybrid companion will send you smart recommendations for booking desk time to coordinate and collaborate with them.

An illustration of Kadence's Hybrid Work Software showing a smart booking notification.

It’s never a forcing suggestion — ultimately it’s up to you — but it’s a polite nudge in the right direction. The sum of these nudges is a team that is both coordinated and happy to be coordinated.

4. Book time in specific office neighborhoods

When it comes to the specifics of your time in the office, hybrid work software is set up to offer you the physical space that is optimal for your collaboration and social goals.

Office neighborhoods are areas that can be marked out for a variety of uses – whilst always having team coordination at their heart.

Some might be department-specific: Marketing Metropolis / Numbers Nook / Creative Corner. Others might be task-specific: focus areas, zones with access to relevant equipment and facilities, high activity areas.

Your hybrid work tool will display these neighborhoods to you and their use on any given week — giving you the opportunity to join them when they’re busiest (and most appealing!) or when relevant colleagues are also planning to make use of them.

The office should be the social hub of your organization, where your community is built and supported.

Coordinating your team around its physical spaces goes a long way toward ensuring it becomes that thriving social center.

5. Make meetings count

In a hybrid world, meetings can be finicky things. “Can you guys hear me?” “You’re on mute, Dave” “We’re just waiting for Julia to join, she’s in the office”.

When managed poorly, a hybrid meeting schedule can result in a bunch of people attending a bunch of meetings from a bunch of different remote or physical locations — all at the expense of a good collaborative experience.

We sometimes forget that meetings aren’t just boxes to tick. They’re opportunities to bring people together, put great minds on big questions, and achieve brilliant things.

That’s why it’s so important to coordinate your team properly around meetings.

A tool for hybrid work lets you book the right space for each meeting and notify relevant people about their whereabouts. Team members who wish to participate are equipped with all the necessary information for them to make a decision about whether or not to attend the office on that day. The potential chaos and confusion of a hybrid meeting are replaced by clarity and intention.

Synchronizing your team around meetings will ensure that these key collaborative moments are used to their maximum benefit.

Managing the ins and outs of a hybrid team is hard.

Trying to do it without the right software is like being left alone with a 16×16 Rubix cube. You can stare at it all you want, but it won’t solve itself!

Adopting another tool can also feel intimidating. Not another piece of software to add to our ever-growing catalog…

We hope we’ve convinced you that this particular tool really is worthwhile. It tackles a question that runs at the core of every business: how can I coordinate my team and empower them to do amazing work together?

If you are still struggling to find the right solution for your own hybrid team, we’d love to hear from you — and help in any way we can.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

77% of Companies are Shifting to Flexible Spaces: Here’s 5 Reasons Why

Posted on May 5, 2023March 1, 2024 by Dan Bladen

Demand for flexible spaces is on the up – in a big way.

A recent survey found that 77% of companies seeking relocation were planning to factor flexible spaces into their future plans.

This rising interest makes sense, especially given the broader shift we are seeing towards hybrid work and flexible ways of operating. But should your company be considering a “flex space”? Let’s explore the 5 signs that you’re ready to go fully flexible.

1. You are looking for ways to reduce spending on flexible spaces

In the past people were predictable, and spaces were static. Now, spaces are flexible, and people are unpredictable. 2023 is proving to be an exceptionally tough year — for even the most robust businesses.

If you, like many, find yourselves in a position where cost-cutting and optimization are top of mind, you might well be looking towards your office space as an opportunity for cost-saving. (And you wouldn’t be wrong in doing so!)

Running a traditional office can be very expensive, and the overhead costs can add up quickly. With a flex space, however, you’ll only pay for the space you need — while also saving money on utilities, maintenance costs, and other expenses related to running an office.

Additionally, you’ll have the flexibility to choose from a range of pricing plans, depending on your business requirements. You can select hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly plans, depending on how much space you need and for how long.

The result? Flexible costs, a more predictable budget, and cutting out your largest monthly expense.

2. Your flexible office space is frequently underused

This is something we are all experiencing to varying degrees.

With remote work so universally available, many employees are choosing to forego their long commutes and spend that time in other ways: helping out with child care, relishing their improved work-life balance, or focusing on their physical and mental health.

The fact is: that employees are struggling to find good reasons to come into the office.

That’s where flexible spaces come in. With flex spaces, your employees will have the opportunity to choose a space that is local to them — and therefore much more accessible.

Furthermore, with the right hybrid work tool in place — giving your employees oversight over their coworkers’ schedules and helping with the day-to-day of flexible work — your team will know exactly when and where it makes sense for them to be.

Underuse of office space is not just damaging from a financial perspective — but also a cultural one. The office should feel like the company’s watering hole — a place to draw inspiration from others, get down to focused work, and build long-lasting social connections.

Flex spaces are bustling neighborhoods that will help bring your employees back to a physical space and — crucially — show them the unique value in doing so.

3. You find yourself stretched managing your flexible office space

Managing a physical office space can be an uphill struggle, especially if you have limited resources.

Even if your office is being adequately used, you might find the stress of its management and upkeep far outweighs the benefits it brings about.

With a flex space, you’ll drastically reduce the responsibility you have over your physical workspace.

No more worrying about maintenance, cleaning, or other finicky day-to-day tasks — these will all be managed by the flex space provider. A flex space will also generally offer a wide range of professional services, such as administrative support, reception services, and IT support.

If you add the right hybrid work software into that picture, you’ll also not have to worry about the nitty gritty of desk booking, meeting room management and employee work schedules.

A flex space equipped with a leading hybrid work tool might just be the thing that helps free up your time to focus on things that matter the most.

4. You don’t want to compromise on quality facilities

I hear your concern. “Flexible spaces sound nice, but I’m worried about compromising on quality. I want the best for my employees.”

An honorable goal! Luckily for you, the modern flexible space goes above and beyond ensuring your employees are met with quality.

A quick browse of the best options near you and you’ll see spaces kitted out with high-end amenities, modern furniture, state-of-the-art technology, and premium meeting spaces — not to mention high-speed internet, video conferencing tools, and industry-standard office equipment.

Flex spaces are designed to create a professional and comfortable workspace — but also a versatile one that caters to a wide range of industries and creative focuses.

This eclectic, polished environment, can act as the perfect platform for your team to continue enjoying in-person work without sacrificing any smallest convenience — and act as a new source of inspiration and fulfillment.

5. You are looking to reduce your environmental impact

Reducing environmental impact is a priority for many businesses and their ESG missions.

Research has shown that empty offices are still devouring almost as much energy as in pre-pandemic times.

By choosing a flex space, you’ll not only greatly reduce your company’s carbon footprint through vacating a whole physical space, you’ll be committing to a system that has space and energy efficiency at its core. No more empty or underused office floors – flex spaces are set up to maximize the usage of their work areas, while also providing eco-friendly technical infrastructure, such as energy-efficient lighting, heating, and powering.

Even if you keep a core office and choose to introduce flexible spaces for your international employees, the benefits are significant. Flex spaces have excellent access to public transportation, and some will even have bike storage and shower facilities — encouraging low-emission travel to and from the office.

Giving your employees a tool to book these flex spaces and see how their colleagues plan to use them will go one step further to ensuring a commute is never wasted, and in-person work is carried out as intentionally as possible.

A flexible space set up for hybrid work ultimately works in the interests of the environment.

So there they are. The five reasons it may be about time for you and your team to explore flexible spaces.

Remember though — there is never a one-size-fits-all. Before committing to a move, you might want to ask yourself a few questions:

Would it make financial sense? Would it help reduce our carbon footprint? Is it feasible from an organizational point of view?

Most important of all is to get a feeling for how your employees see the situation. Maybe they value having their own space, and it’s time to downsize or choose a different office. Maybe they are raring to commit to a fully hybrid system.

At Kadence, we’re all about treating each case with the attention and detail it deserves. We’re also all about partnering with outstanding solutions that help companies get even smarter about the way they operate.

Big news coming soon!

Author bio

Dan Bladen

Who Should Own Working Hybrid at Your Company? The Pros and Cons of Each

Posted on April 28, 2023March 1, 2024 by Dan Bladen

Earlier this week, we ran a LinkedIn poll. The question was simple: who is running Working Hybrid in your company?

Results started pouring in CEO, Facility Manager, Head of People, and IT department — they were all in the mix. Yet not one of them was poking their head out as a clear winner.

This alone is a compelling insight. As strong as the momentum currently is towards hybrid ways of working, it seems there’s still a collective uncertainty around who exactly is meant to own the process of implementing and overseeing the ins and outs of hybrid work.

Let’s look at who the candidates are — and why they are in a prime position to take on the challenge of helping their company transition to Working Hybrid.

The CEO

The CEO is our first candidate – and perhaps the most obvious.

Hybrid work presents a fundamental alteration of how a company sees itself, its people, and its space — and such a profound change needs to be met at the top executive level.

Furthermore, the transition to hybrid has implications for so much of a company’s operational framework — from its use and management of real estate to its work culture and operating software — that it requires someone with an extensive knowledge base and skill set to properly oversee it.

The CEO is the person ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a business, and you could argue that it is therefore their job to oversee the implementation of hybrid work.

Pros:

Great to have top-level ownership of a core business strategy
Wide skill set and knowledge to manage all facets of implementation

Cons:

Risks of getting bogged down in the day-to-day
Less “people-focused” and more “business-focused”

The COO

Next up is the COO. The person whose job it is to oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization — and someone who could be instrumental in the successful implementation of hybrid work.

The transition to hybrid work represents a complete shift in an organization’s management of its resources — the chief of which is its people and spaces.

The office has become a tool for work, rather than a platform, and the main platform has now become time.

Negotiating this conceptual shift is something that the COO would be more than capable of handling. With their strong communication skills, connection to all department heads, and intimate knowledge of large and smaller-scale work processes, the COO would be a top candidate for helping implement the right tool for hybrid work and overseeing its effective use.

Pros:

Deeply aligned with the day-to-day operations of the company
Can ensure that processes and systems are in place to support remote work and in-person collaboration

Cons:

May not have a comprehensive understanding of the needs of individuals, or technical challenges
May not have the skill set to manage all facets of implementation

The CTO/Tech Lead

I know what you’re thinking. What does technology have to do with such an operational question?

Hear us out. Hybrid work doesn’t just represent a change in a workplace’s physical routines and rituals. The proper implementation of hybrid work involves installing software that assists you on every step of your hybrid journey — from desk booking and room booking to smart scheduling and team coordination.

Such an installation could be daunting — especially if handled by the wrong person.

That’s where the CTO comes in. With their technical expertise, the tech lead of a company could ensure that their chosen hybrid software works seamlessly alongside the rest of a company’s technical catalog — whether it be integrating with Microsoft Teams, Slack, or any number of digital tools.

Pros:

Best placed to manage hybrid software and integrations

Cons:

Detached from the operational / people-focused reality of hybrid work
Distracts from product-related technical issues

The Facility Manager

Another figure who could be crucial to a company’s hybrid transition is the Facility / Office Manager.

The Facility Manager is the person responsible for ensuring an organization’s physical spaces are configured to support the workforce.

In the era of hybrid work, this responsibility is particularly important. With a workforce fluctuating between remote and in-person work, the office has developed a whole new identity: a flexible, malleable hub that caters to the complex schedules of its residents.

Such an office needs to be carefully designed, and even more carefully managed. It should feel like a destination workplace, with a biophilic design and carefully placed office neighborhoods. It should also be set up to prioritize energy conservation — with thoughtful consideration for low-use zones and a plan to raise the office’s overall energy efficiency.

The Facility Manager is perfectly placed to mark out the office as a place for productivity and fulfillment in a company’s new hybrid work model.

Pros:

Familiar with the physical workspace and can ensure it is configured to support fluctuating workforce

Cons:

Not so in tune with higher level functions of hybrid work — from a financial/operational perspective
Wouldn’t be best placed to manage hybrid work software and its introduction

The Head of People

Call this person what you will — Head of HR, Chief People Officer, Chief of Staff — they are another clear candidate for managing and owning the transition to hybrid.

Hybrid work is fundamentally about people (just read the manifesto!). It’s about ensuring that each individual in the company feels supported in their own unique way — so that they can flourish in whatever working environment suits them best.

Enter HR. With such a strong connection to people — and their satisfaction in work and beyond — it feels like a no-brainer that they should somehow be involved when it comes to overseeing a change that affects every single person in the company.

HR representatives could ensure employees are set up to be just as effective from their homes, oversee the complexities of their working requirements, and provide adequate onboarding and training to employees who are less familiar with the processes of hybrid work.

Pros:

Deeply aligned with the needs of employees
Can provide much-needed training and support

Cons:

Less focused on the management of the physical workspace
Not a stakeholder in the financial implications of working hybrid, or technical requirements for software

The Chief Hybrid Officer

The Chief Hybrid Officer is a new role that companies are turning to in their attempt to give justice to the complex challenge presented by the transition to working hybrid.

As you’ve hopefully now seen — the person tasked with implementing hybrid work needs to have an exceptional skill set, ranging from solid business acumen and operational nous to the ability to manage a physical workspace and digital software.

Such a wide-ranging assignment could well be handled by an existing employee — but it would seriously risk distracting them from their core work. Furthermore, it could mean under-delivering on the potential of a well-implemented hybrid system.

The Chief Hybrid Officer would own this process from start to finish. Their goal would be to maximize the impact of the hybrid work model, from championing employee well-being and satisfaction to cutting down real estate costs and helping a company’s ESG mission.

Pros:

Holistic approach to the hybrid transition
Full ownership of all relevant areas, including implications

Cons:

Difficult to hire for the position
Smaller companies may struggle to justify the role

The responsibility for implementing and managing hybrid work in an organization can fall to a variety of roles — from the CTO to the Chief of Staff.

Yet there’s no right answer. Every organization is different, and every team has its specific circumstances and requirements for transitioning to a new way of working.

When deciding upon whom the responsibility falls to implement hybrid work, we recommend assessing your company on several different fronts:

Your company’s size and capacity for a new executive role
The relative financial impact hybrid work could have on you
The importance of environmental impact and optimization to your company
The day-to-day capacity of C-level executives for a sizeable new project

Our mission at Kadence is to help companies navigate this complex world. Whether it’s giving advice on the proper way to educate your employees about hybrid work, or helping implement software that will act as your guiding light in the transition — we’d love to be part of your journey.

Author Bio

Dan Bladen

Hybrid OS: Your Company’s Hybrid Workplace Operating System

Posted on April 21, 2023March 1, 2024 by Dan Bladen

Have you installed your Hybrid Workplace Operating System yet?

Hybrid OS: the new hybrid workplace operating system that countless businesses worldwide depend on to help manage their people, projects, and spaces.

Now, of course, we don’t mean an actual operating system (like Mac or Windows). But it’s high time we began to view hybrid work — the policy, not the loose concept — as a platform that is just as fundamental to business as the way operating software is to computers.

Let’s take a look at 5 surprising parallels between hybrid work and a computer’s operating system.

1. They both provide the foundational framework

Just as an operating system provides the foundation for software and applications to run on a computer, a well-implemented hybrid policy establishes the fundamental structure for how a company operates.

Not only does it provide the rules and processes for a company’s core work practices, but hybrid work ensures that every single employee in the company is working from the same platform and basis — and that they are empowered to flourish from that platform.

The importance of this framework cannot be understated: with uncertainty at an all-time high in the working world, hybrid work ushers in much-needed structure and stability.

2. Their primary goal is optimization

An operating system acts as the brain of the computer — with optimization as its primary goal. It manages the computer’s resources as efficiently as possible — from memory and processing to storage and task coordination.

In the same way, hybrid work acts as the brain of a business. Tools for hybrid work manage the whole catalog of resources overseen by a company — from its employees and their work Kadences to its physical workplace and office neighborhoods. Hybrid ensures a company is optimized across all of its processes.

Modern computers run smoothly only because of the work put in by their operating systems in the background. The same applies to hybrid work.

Hybrid work is like the operating system of a computer: it’s the adaptable framework that ensures a business can run smoothly and efficiently

3. They both adapt to the needs of their environment

Operating systems are built to adapt to changing conditions, such as software updates, hardware upgrades, or the installation of new applications.

See the parallel? Hybrid work is implemented precisely to adapt to an ever-changing workforce and professional environment.

Its intrinsic flexibility allows companies to cater to the unique needs of each individual — whether that be in specific circumstances necessitated by a new hire, or the evolving needs of existing employees or teams. (Or indeed external conditions like, dare we say, a global pandemic!)

Every company is composed of unique individuals. The more your operating system understands them and molds to them, the higher your chances of individual and collective success.

4. Coordination and communication run in their DNA

An operating system is designed to facilitate communication between hardware and software components within a computer. It even lays down the language for these different components to speak to one another, learn from one another, and develop together.

A well-implemented hybrid policy does exactly this. With the right software in your employees’ hands, you’ll find team coordination and communication reach an entirely new level.

Meeting management; desk booking; office attendance; and equipment usage: hybrid work synchronizes the key communication lines of a company and ensures everyone is speaking the same language. This openness is crucial to building a healthy and efficient business.

5. They provide an actionable user interface

An operating system’s user interface affects how users interact with the computer. It enables each user to make a concrete decision regarding their next move — and allows them to plan several steps.

Hybrid work tools offer similar benefits. In giving employees an actual dashboard for their company and colleagues’s work processes and schedules — they can take concrete steps towards organizing their own time and work schedules more effectively.

Seeing starred colleagues and their planned attendance, or where relevant meetings are scheduled to happen, lets each team member know when it’s worth them coming into the office — so they never have to waste another commute. An operating system provides the whole interface and dialogue for important day-to-day decision-making to happen.

A Kadence screen shot of the homepage dashboard within the Kadence Web app

If you are interested in how exactly to upgrade your company’s operating system, and how best to implement hybrid work policies, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Author bio

Dan Bladen

How Hybrid Work Impacts People, Profits, and the Planet

Posted on April 13, 2023March 4, 2024 by Dan Bladen

As laid out in the Hybrid Manifesto, hybrid work is dedicated to helping three main areas flourish: People, Profits, and the Planet.

It’s a bold claim. You might be wondering how such a seemingly simple change in your team’s way of working could have such a wide-ranging impact (and you wouldn’t be alone in wondering that).

The proof – as they say – is in the pudding. In this particular case, the “pudding” is a growing body of evidence that gives weight to the claim that hybrid work performs exceptionally well across all three of those areas.

So let’s dive into the stats.

How Hybrid Work Impacts People

It’s no secret that our society is experiencing a mental health crisis. Alone time among adult Americans has more than doubled since before the pandemic, while the adoption of fully remote work has increased feelings of loneliness by 67%.

The learnings are clear: fully remote work, with all of its superficial benefits for flexibility and work/life balance, comes at a deep cost.

Young professionals are wise to this cost. A recent survey found that 74% of Gen Z workers prefer interacting with colleagues face-to-face, and would see partial office work as an important part of their early professional development.

68% of workers prefer Hybrid work. Hybrid employees can save the equivalent of 11 workdays per year by commuting less. Full time remote work has increased loneliness by 67%, and 47% are concerned about the lack of clarity in the post-pandemic world.

Hybrid work is a clear solution to these problems. While it keeps all of the perks associated with remote work — autonomy, flexibility, work/life balance — hybrid work emphasizes the importance of the office space as a hub for collaboration, community building and human connection.

The working world agrees. 68% of surveyed professionals said a Hybrid work schedule would be ideal for them. Hybrid work also presents a solution to the 47% of people who are concerned by a lack of clear vision about the post-pandemic working world. (Looking at you — companies who are still sitting on the fence when it comes to “committing” to a new work system).

Hybrid has the good of people at its very heart. It recognizes the uniqueness of each individual’s situation and provides a framework for catering to that uniqueness — and getting the most out of it.

How Hybrid Work Impacts Profits

The most undervalued aspect of hybrid work has to be its direct impact on the success of a company’s business.

While unhelpful myths still circulate around the supposed downsides of hybrid models, there is a growing mass of evidence that supports hybrid work as a major force for optimization and boosting productivity.

Just ask the 63% of high-growth businesses that are going hybrid. Or the 58% of executives who report improvements in individual productivity in a hybrid system. What about the [94% of employees who are more productive when they feel connected to their colleagues]

The numbers tell a clear story: implementing the right balance of remote and in-person work leads to employees who are more motivated than ever to succeed, and help their company succeed.

63% of high growth business are going hybrid. Companies save an estimated $11,000 per year on each hybrid work employee, and 58% of executives report higher productivity in hybrid workers.

That’s not even scratching the surface of what gains are to be made for a company on a cost-saving level. The oversight hybrid work gives companies as to the use of their physical office space, and the better management of that space can yield jaw-dropping results.

It’s estimated that companies that adopt hybrid work could save $11,000 a year on each employee who works remotely at least half of the time. $11,000! Furthermore, companies can expect to reduce up to 40% of their office costs by either downsizing their spaces, saving on rent, or just getting smarter about the employee-to-desk ratio.

A happy, connected hybrid workforce will go a long way towards boosting productivity in your company. If you pair that with the right tool to help manage the transition, you’ll discover ways you never even knew you could optimize your business.

How Hybrid Work Impacts The Planet

Optimization is in the DNA of hybrid work. Helping companies understand how to better coordinate their employees and physical space not only means big gains for productivity — it also means stripping out unnecessary energy usage and emissions.

For example — research has found that hybrid work can reduce nitrogen dioxide emissions by up to 10% (nitrogen dioxide being the main pollutant caused by traffic). Commuting for a good reason (an important creative meeting, a cross-functional workshop) comes hand in hand with reducing unnecessary emissions.

Hybrid work can decrease nitrogen dioxide emissions by up to 10%. Downsizing office space can reduce energy consumption by up to 40%, and inefficiencies in building management account for 30% of energy use in offices.

When it comes to the physical workspace, research shows inefficiencies in building management account for 30% of energy use in offices. This leaves ample opportunity for a hybrid work tool to help streamline office use — indicating where your energy-saving zones are, and letting you know which inactive desks and areas can be switched off.

If and when your company decides it’s time to downsize, you can expect to reduce your overall energy consumption by up to 40%.

As if that wasn’t enough — hybrid work systems also get to grips with meetings, avoiding unnecessary video calling where possible. It’s estimated that three hours of video calls per day can result in almost the same yearly emissions as commuting every day.

When video calls are designated for remote-only situations, and in-person meetings become more and more frequent, companies will keep the emissions associated with video calling to a minimum.

Hybrid work is swiftly becoming the most popular work model for business leaders navigating the post-pandemic professional world.

To get the most out of a hybrid system — and maximize your impact on People, Profits and the Planet — you must spend time choosing the right tool for hybrid work.

It could mean the difference between a working arrangement that feels like a compromise, and one that feels like a business strategy with scarcely believable benefits.

Author bio

Dan Bladen

Dynamic Office Neighborhoods: Hybrid Work’s Best Kept Secret

Posted on March 30, 2023July 26, 2024 by Dan Bladen

In this article you’ll find information about:

What dynamic office neighborhoods are
Choosing the right Hybrid work tool
How to establish office neighborhoods
The impact of office neighborhoods on community building
The impact of office neighborhoods on productivity and efficiency

Let’s imagine you’re a business owner looking for ways to optimize your company’s operations in a challenging year. (Maybe you are that person already?)

In those shoes — keeping your team happy and productive is top of mind. The success of your business depends on building a strong community.

So you’ve got a few weapons in your arsenal: team-building retreats, hackathons, workshops, even a well-thought-out system for hybrid work.

What if I told you I could add one more weapon to that arsenal that would totally transform your community-building efforts? A productivity hack you never even knew existed?

Welcome to office neighborhoods — the working world’s best-kept secret.

What is an office neighborhood?

An office neighborhood is, essentially, a micro-community within your physical office space.

With so much variability and unpredictability in office attendance these days, office neighborhoods are designed to bring people together based on shared interests, projects, or goals – so that the time spent engaging in face-to-face work is used as intentionally as possible.

There are several ways to mark out neighborhoods, depending on what you want to get out of them:

Departmental neighborhoods: putting marketing/sales/engineering together. This is particularly useful for smaller teams that haven’t yet broken out into cross-functional work.
Project neighborhoods: grouping by projects. This works well for larger companies with a lot of cross-functional project work.
Activity neighborhoods: marking out people who require or prefer certain working conditions for their job (on an as-needed basis). This could feasibly be a group of desks occupied by an engineer, marketer, product manager, and operations manager – each working on their own projects, yet each requiring deep focus/quiet work in that particular week/month.
Functional neighborhoods: a community of employees that need access to certain amenities and office features — printers, meeting rooms, double monitors, etc. This could also apply to a group of new hires who are going through the onboarding process together.

Designating the right office neighborhoods will play a key role in the community-building and optimization efforts of your organization. More on that later!

Before you start: Choose a hybrid work tool

The first step to establishing office neighborhoods is choosing the right tool for Hybrid work.

Hybrid work tools help you organize the daily influx and outflux of your employees to the office, and ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to their work Kadences.

A fully equipped hybrid work tool will enable you and your employees to:

Book desks in your office, on a regular or ad hoc basis (no more uncertainty about where your workstation will be!)
See when relevant team members (or “starred colleagues”) have booked office time, so it’s crystal clear when you should come in
Get notified of last-minute changes to bookings, so you never waste another commute
See how busy the office is on different days of the week, so you know how to fit the office into your own schedule

The result of implementing a tool for hybrid work is 100% oversight of office attendance — and this transparency extends to every single employee in your organization.

You’re now in the best possible position to start planning how different areas of your office are used to maximize community building. Achievement unlocked: potential for office neighborhoods.

How to establish dynamic office neighborhoods

Once you’ve spent some time implementing a tool that will act as your trusty companion for hybrid work, you’re in a place to carve out different neighborhoods according to your specific community building and productivity goals.

Here are some tips when it comes to designating neighborhoods:

Identify zones for activity neighborhoods

As already mentioned, certain employees will feel better suited to physical areas that help them achieve a certain goal. Take stock of your physical office space and consider where the “activity neighborhoods” may be — whether that be the quietest corner of your office for deep work, or a space where sales representatives can hop on calls without disturbing others.

An illustration of Kadence's live interactive office floor plans showing dynamic office neighbhoods.

Mark out neighborhoods for their social and functional value

Is there a part of your office where all of the printers and photocopiers are? Are there a bunch of desks right next to the kitchen area – where people are constantly popping in and out? Make sure you label these areas according to their social and functional properties – so you know which employees will fit best with their energy.

Kadence Top Tip: A well-equipped hybrid tool will also let you mark out where all the important office amenities are — making it easier for employees to find and book the right desks before they go in.

Customize neighborhoods with nice touches

Once you’ve spent some time carving out the different neighborhoods your office has to offer, it’s time to get creative. How can you accentuate the primary function of each neighborhood? Little touches can go a long way to making your employees feel like their neighborhood is tailored to their needs — think sound insulation for constant callers, white noise machines for deep focus, and – of course – a generous smattering of plants all round.

Name your neighborhoods!

This is where the fun starts. Give your neighborhoods fun names (the punnier/more alliterative the better) to make them feel even more like little worlds inside your office. Here are a few ideas:

Marketing Metropolis
Numbers Nook (for your finance team)
Personnel Plaza (HR)
Creative Corner
Focus Forum
Tech Town
Innovation Island

Survey your employees — where do they feel they belong?

Most importantly of all, you should make sure you have a solid understanding of each of your employees’ unique needs. Consider sending out a survey or questionnaire to gauge interest in specific kinds of neighborhoods. This will help you further refine and mark out the neighborhood areas you have in mind for your workforce.

The deep impact of dynamic office neighborhoods

Whew. You’ve done it. You’ve learned all about the different kinds of office neighborhoods, and how to implement them properly, and you’ve just put those learnings into practice.

Your office neighborhoods are all set up. What can you expect?

Community building comes easily

In the age of post-pandemic work, it’s become even harder than before for business leaders to feel like they are building a strong sense of community in their companies. Office neighborhoods are the hack that stimulates community building on several dimensions.

Belonging and connection

An office neighborhood can instill a real sense of belonging in employees — especially those who have gotten used to spending a lot of time working in isolation at home. Not only does each employee feel like their own unique needs are catered for — they also benefit from having like-minded colleagues close by. This fosters a level of connection that previously didn’t have a sustainable platform. Connection is vital to community building, and employees feeling fulfilled and satisfied in their workplace.

Diversity and inclusivity

Office neighborhoods are flexible, ever-changing workspaces that bring together colleagues on multiple grounds (not purely departmental, as we so often see companies doing). The result of this is the natural grouping together of individuals with diverse backgrounds and skill sets. Providing unique spaces for such colleagues to connect, collaborate, and contribute only enhances a company’s sense of inclusivity — and subsequently empowers it to build an even stronger, more creative, and more innovative community.

Supporting work-life balance

Without office neighborhoods, it could easily feel to employees like there is no real advantage to working from the office — why waste a commute on a physical space that neither inspires them to do work nor connects them with the right people to make things happen? Office neighborhoods remove that question entirely — building a community where employees can control their work-life balance more effectively than ever, and understand more clearly the specific benefits of remote and in-person work.

Your company’s productivity and efficiency will soar

On top of the clear gains you’ll experience for your company’s community-building mission, office neighborhoods will also be a crucial factor in stimulating productivity and efficiency in your employees.

Intentional in-person work

It’s all very well enforcing in-person work – as many large organizations have begun to do – but this approach can be very ineffective when it’s not paired with the right system and infrastructure.

Office neighborhoods ensure that employees are coming into the office for the right reasons — knowing that the space set out for them is one where they can thrive — and be more productive. Laying down a clear intention for your employees when it comes to office-based work is fundamental to ensuring that their commute is not wasted.

Multilateral collaboration

The real wonder of office neighborhoods is how they foster collaboration on so many levels. As already seen, a neighborhood doesn’t need to be set up for people working in the same team or department — it can be a collection of people united by their working style, or the tools they need to be successful.

That means that collaboration is multilateral — from conventional round-the-monitor chats with direct team members to brainstorming sessions involving people from different departments. Make sure to pick a hybrid tool that allows you to see where teammates are sitting – so you can book a seat right by them and collaborate even more intentionally and effectively!

Smart office use

Understanding how your office space is used, and molding neighborhoods to the needs of your employees, inevitably means getting smarter about how efficient your physical space is. Once you’ve gone through the steps in this article, you may find that there are whole pockets in your office that are made redundant, or less important than you thought.

This could mean you choose to downsize your space (thus significantly reducing your monthly real estate costs), or just repurpose it to deliver even more value to your employees and your business. A smart office is one where the space is efficient both from a cost perspective and also a productivity perspective.

An illustrative example of Kadence's office activity widget that shows you how many people are in the office during the week.

“Energy efficiency has been a huge focus for us. With Kadence, we’re able to get a clear overview of how much of our workplace is being used and the future demand for it; and how spaces can be reconfigure”
– Workplace Experience Director, Softchoice

If you’re a business leader, I’m sure you have a million things on your to-do list when it comes to working through your productivity and community-building goals this year.

I hope I’ve managed to persuade you that office neighborhoods could be the key to unlocking the health of your community in a post-pandemic working world — and how it’s that tidy little hack you’ve been on the lookout for.

Hybrid work is here to stay, and the more we come up with ways to capitalize on the endless flexibility it affords us, the more we can foster stronger, happier, and more productive teams than ever before.

To explore how Kadence can transform your team collaboration at your workplace, book a demo and see it in action.