Author: 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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

New research continues to unearth important findings in the return-to-office debate.

Most recently, a LinkedIn study found that more than a third of workers would quit their job if their employer demanded full time in-person work. Furthermore, a whopping 52% of women responded that they would consider flexibility a deal breaker in their employment contract.

These numbers are significant. They add to the growing bank of evidence that forcing a rigid system risks seriously jeopardizing the diversity of our workplace and teams.

Hybrid work provides a solution. In offering tailored flexibility to your employees, you are far more likely to attract, retain and foster diverse talent.

In this article, we’ll show you how hybrid teams are more diverse — and why that is good news for your organization.

Return-to-office could homogenize your workforce

Humans are notoriously skilled at adapting to new environments.

That’s why — having undergone the biggest shift in work habits since the industrial revolution — it’s now a very tall order to ask that we return to a world where we work in a physical office for 5 days a week.

In demanding such a regression — which many tech companies are now starting to do — we run the risk of excluding whole groups of people from our workforces:

• People with unique family dynamics that mean they are unable to leave their households every day to be present in an office
• People with diverse financial backgrounds for whom a hybrid system is a must-have, relieving financial stress while providing the benefits of face-to-face work
• People with special physical and mental needs that prevent full-time in-person work
• People who are naturally inclined to thriving in a solo environment

Enforcing office-only work will ultimately end up benefitting groups of people that are already in the privileged position of suiting such a working system.

We’ll be picking talent from a pond, not an ocean.

Hybrid work attracts diversity and inclusivity

The flipside to a world where in-person work becomes exclusive **is a system which fosters inclusivity and diversity at its core.

Hybrid work is just that system.

By heroing policies for the balance of in-person and remote work, companies find themselves naturally attracting a much more diverse and inclusive workforce, on several accounts:

Geographically agnostic

When a company hires exclusively in a certain geographic area, they inevitably miss out on qualified candidates from other regions. Remote work opportunities attract employees from different parts of the country and the world. This locational variety brings a variety of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to the team.

Intrinsic flexiblility

Employees who have disabilities, family responsibilities or other unique circumstances may find it difficult to work in a traditional office setting. The inbuilt flexibility that comes with hybrid work means a company can accommodate these employees and ensure they can contribute to the team just as effectively.

Culture of communication and collaboration

Hybrid teams promote collaboration and communication. With a workforce divided between the office and home, a tool for hybrid work goes a long way towards keeping communication channels open and productive – where everyone feels empowered to participate. The strength and health of hybrid cultures are a major factor in both in attracting and retaining diverse talent.

Diversity unlocks productivity

The best part? Diverse teams perform better.

A study by McKinsey found that companies with ethnic diversity were 36% more likely to outperform companies that were less diverse, while gender diverse companies were 25% more effective.

It makes sense. A more diverse and inclusive workforce leads to a stronger culture. A stronger culture creates happier teams. Happier teams are more focused, driven and productive.

Hybrid models of working value the unique needs of each individual employee — and the result is employees feeling seen.

Hybrid work is not only a galvanizer of diversity — it’s also the perfect complement to a diverse team.

The “S” of ESG

Diversity and inclusivity are not just important from a business perspective; they are also intertwined with the “social” frontier of a company’s ESG mission.

Companies that prioritize diversity and inclusivity are more likely to attract socially responsible investors, who are increasingly looking beyond financial metrics when evaluating companies.

Beyond the enormous benefits hybrid work has for a company’s environmental outlook, transitioning to a flexible working system comes with similar gains for an organization’s diversity and inclusivity.

Such gains can become an important part of a company’s mission to uphold the highest social standards — and fly the flag of equality and tolerance.

Hybrid teams offer the best of both worlds

The beauty of hybrid work is its commitment to offering the best of both remote and in-person work.

Hybrid organizations understand that — while remote work makes most sense for some of their employees — others are more suited to office-based work.

Furthermore, they understand that building healthy communities depends on managing this balance intelligently — and ensuring the complexity of a fluctuating workforce acts for them, rather than against them.

That’s why the best hybrid companies work with a tool to help them navigate their new working system – whether that be in desk booking, team coordination or meeting room management. It’s one thing claiming you have hybrid policies — and quite another thing implementing them successfully.

Setting yourself up as a fully functioning hybrid organization will go a long, long way towards ensuring you are building and nurturing diversity in your teams.

The desk sharing hype is real.

As businesses continue to evolve and adapt to new working conditions, desk sharing has emerged as a policy that offers profound benefits for a company’s optimization goals.

Google is the latest example of a leading tech company turning to desk sharing to streamline office attendance, reduce real estate costs and boost productivity.

But what is desk sharing? And how can you leverage it for the good of your business?

What is Desk Sharing?

Desk sharing, also known as hot desking, is a work system that allows employees to use available workstations on an ad hoc basis, rather than having a dedicated workspace.

This not only serves to optimize office space and reduce real estate expenses, it also promotes collaboration and teamwork, fosters a more creative and diverse workplace, and ultimately provides employees with a more comfortable work environment that promotes their well-being.

As we’ll see later, desk sharing works best when it’s implemented alongside a tool for hybrid work. Having the right software to help manage your desk sharing policy is vital to ensuring you never have to compromise on team coordination and an intuitive user experience.

The Power of Desk Sharing

As companies continue to adjust to the new normal of post-pandemic life, many are struggling to get oversight on the actual day-to-day use of their office space.

It’s understandable. Without a proper system in place for hybrid work management, the intention to balance remote and in-person work can result in logistical chaos: employees scattered all over the place, unsure as to each other’s schedules, coming and going seemingly at random.

Introducing a policy for desk sharing can give much-needed structure to this chaos. When business leaders and employees gain transparency into the use of their workplace — the availability of work stations; their team members’ Kadences; overall office utilization — the results can be profoundly impactful on a number of fronts:

1. Space optimization and cost saving

Perhaps the most attractive proposal for organizations facing a tricky year ahead. By utilizing office space more efficiently, desk sharing will help you significantly cut down your real estate costs. No permanent, dedicated workstations means smarter space management and a concrete opportunity to downsize your workspace.

2. Collaboration and community building

Contrary to common misconceptions, desk sharing has a powerful galvanizing effect on the social landscape of companies. Employees in effective hybrid work systems come in to the office with higher intention – whether that be to collaborate with relevant team members or just to feel like part of the community.

3. Flexibility

The beauty of desk sharing is that it can easily cater to a workforce made up of remote employees, part-time workers, and contractors. It’s a flexible system that allows workers to have a designated workspace when they need it, without requiring a permanent desk that goes unused.

4. Employee well-being

Desk sharing ultimately empowers employees to choose their workspace depending on their (ever-changing!) needs. Remote work remains a safe haven for deep focus work, whereas the office becomes a stimulating creative environment for collaboration and socializing. The flexibility this provides is conducive to a flourishing workforce with an in-built focus on personal well-being.

5. Attracting and retaining diverse talent

Many workers, particularly younger employees, are drawn to flexible and collaborative workplaces. Desk sharing will make your company more attractive to a diverse range of potential candidates, improve employee satisfaction, and help retain top talent.

6. ESG goals

With increasing attention towards the ESG efforts of organizations, desk sharing comes with the promise of a real reduction in your company’s carbon footprint — whether through smarter office energy usage or the simple act of downsizing your space.

Kadence’s Desk Sharing Tips

Implementing shared desks can be a daunting task, especially if it’s the first time for your organization. Here are some tips for managing the process to ensure you adopt desk sharing as seamlessly as possible:

Find a desk booking system

Choosing the right tool for desk booking is absolutely key to successful desk sharing. Make sure the tool you choose comes with a full feature set that allows you to reserve shared desks, check availability and coordinate with other team members.

Communicate with your employees

Make sure that your employees understand how the system works, and create clear guidelines for booking desks and keeping workspaces clean. Encourage open communication and feedback, so that employees can work together to optimize the desk sharing experience.

Encourage personalization

Encourage your employees to personalize their workspace to make it their own, even if it’s just a temporary space. This can help employees feel more comfortable and productive, and can foster a sense of ownership and pride in the workspace.

Provide storage solutions

Provide storage solutions for employees to keep their belongings, such as lockers or storage cabinets, to keep the workspace clean and clutter-free. This will ensure your employees stay organized and focused, while reducing the risk of lost or stolen items.

Prioritize cleanliness

Provide cleaning supplies and make sure that employees understand the importance of keeping their workspace clean and organized. Desk sharing should be supported by easy-to-clean desks and furniture, so that employees can focus on their work rather than worrying about cleanliness.

At Kadence, we believe that desk sharing is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to optimizing your workplace for success. That’s why we offer a comprehensive tool for hybrid work management that can help you coordinate your desk sharing policy with other remote and in-person work policies.

If you’re interested in learning more about how hybrid work can help your organization thrive, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.