hybrid workplace Archives

Hybrid Work Management Software – Choosing the Right One

Posted on February 29, 2024March 4, 2024 by Jamie Addis

The rise of hybrid work models has become more than just a trend. It’s a necessity. As teams embrace a flexible work environment, effective Hybrid Work Management Software has become critical.

Read our key considerations that will empower you and your team to choose the right software that best suits your hybrid goals.

The Need for Hybrid Work Management Software

The traditional office setup has undergone a seismic shift. Remote and in-office work are now seamlessly interwoven. This brings both opportunities and challenges.

Companies may worry about communication gaps, cultural shifts, employee engagement and well-being. On a logistical level, managers will have concerns about security, technology integrations and managing desk booking in the office.

Hybrid Work Management Software turns Challenges into Opportunities

With the right Hybrid Work Management Software, these challenges can be easily solved. These platforms can bridge the physical and digital workspaces, which means you and your team can instead focus on the opportunities afforded by hybrid work.

The challenges become short-term issues. The hybrid future is one of enhanced flexibility, access to global talent, and increased productivity. A finely tuned hybrid work environment can cut costs, improve employee retention and attraction, and future-proof your business against any disruption.

This is why choosing the right software is essential. It provides a unified platform for task management, collaboration, and communication. It streamlines workflows, ensuring that team members, whether in the office or working remotely, stay connected and productive.

It is through the software that companies can reach their full hybrid potential.

Key Considerations in Choosing the Right Software

1. Seamless Integration

Seamless integration with existing tools is non-negotiable. Look for a platform that effortlessly integrates with the software currently used and appreciated by your team. This includes:

Communication tools
Project management platforms
Document sharing systems

A strong contender should integrate with widely used tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace.

Integrations mean that your hybrid employees do not have to jump from app to app. Your team can work without frustration with a platform that syncs with what they already feel comfortable with. This simplifies the user experience and also minimizes the learning curve for your team.

Employees using their Hybrid Work Management Software and using its various integrations. — Choose a Hybrid Work Management Software that integrates with pre-existing tools.

2. Intuitive User Interface

A user-friendly interface is the cornerstone of effective Hybrid Work Management Software. Your team should be able to navigate the platform effortlessly, irrespective of their technical proficiency. Opt for software with an intuitive design that promotes ease of use and encourages rapid adoption.

An intuitive interface encourages collaboration. It should be easy for team members to access and update information. This reduces the likelihood of errors and ensures that everyone stays on the same page, regardless of their physical location.

3. Flexibility and Scalability

The hybrid work model is inherently dynamic. Think about the long-term needs of your team and how those may change as the company grows. Choose a solution that offers flexibility in customization and scalability to accommodate the evolving demands of your team.

Look for software that allows you to tailor workflows, permissions, and project structures according to your organization’s unique requirements. Scalability is crucial for future-proofing your investment. It ensures that the software can grow alongside your team.

4. Robust Security Measures

The hybrid work model introduces new challenges concerning data security and privacy. Your chosen Hybrid Work Management Software must prioritize robust security measures to safeguard sensitive information.

Look for end-to-end encryption, secure user authentication, and compliance with industry-standard security protocols. A trustworthy software provider will prioritize data protection. Your team should work with confidence, knowing that their information is secure.

Personalizing the Hybrid Work Experience

Each organization has its unique systems and requirements. When choosing the right Hybrid Work Management Software, find a solution that aligns seamlessly with your team’s specific needs and work culture.

Understanding the pain points of your team is central to making the right choice. Are communication gaps impeding collaboration? Is task management becoming a bottleneck? Identifying these pain points allows you to prioritize features that directly address your team’s challenges.

For instance, if your team struggles with finding time to collaborate, prioritize a solution with real-time notifications. These can give you suggestions on when your team could work together based on when they will be working at the office.

This is an image of a smart booking notification in the Hybrid Management Software to let you know 2 of your starred colleagues have booked to be in one liberty plaza and to book a space if you want to join them — Get an instant smart desk booking suggestion to let you know when your teammates are heading to the office.

The key is personalization. Tailoring your choice to your team’s specific needs ensures that the software becomes a catalyst for positive change. Without personalization, the software only adds a layer of complexity.

Consider Kadence as your Hybrid Work Management Software

The most beneficial hybrid work environment cultivates a culture of collaboration, innovation, and success.

Kadence helps you and your team perfect hybrid working. Book desks or meeting rooms within seconds. No longer worry about scheduling conflicts and instead spend time building connections.

With Kadence, work smarter by knowing where and when your colleagues have booked a desk. Our Smart Suggestions recommend when to head into the office, so you can collaborate, and even choose a desk next to them.

Kadence seamlessly integrates with your existing technology tools – so you can use Kadence in Slack, Teams, and more without disrupting your workflow.

And with Insights, Kadence gives you a detailed guide to how your team uses the offices available to them. Reports will tell you what spaces are being wasted, so you can save on real estate costs.

If you’re looking for the right hybrid work management software for you and your team, book a demo today and we’ll show you exactly how Kadence can help you find your rhythm for work.

Jamie Addis

Jamie leads Product & Engineering at Kadence. He loves helping customers use Kadence to shape the future of work in their organisations. Outside of work, you’ll find him in the family whirlwind of raising two kids, coaching youth rugby at his local club and occasionally obsessing over the perfect coffee.

Everything you need to know about Office Space Management Software

Posted on December 11, 2023February 12, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

What is Office Space Management Software and why is it important?

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the hybrid workplace, understanding and managing physical space effectively through space management software has become a pivotal aspect of organizational success. The shift towards hybrid work models has not only altered our daily routines but also redefined the very concept of workspace utilization.

Efficient space management services now play a critical role in fostering productivity, enhancing employee satisfaction, and optimizing operational costs. At Kadence, we recognize these challenges and have tailored our solutions to meet the unique demands of this new era.

What are the challenges of Office Space Management Software?

Space planning in the hybrid work era is a balancing act between flexibility and efficiency. It involves a strategic allocation of physical space to accommodate fluctuating occupancy, diverse work styles, and varying employee needs.

The challenge lies in managing these dynamic requirements with a space management system, ensuring that resources are utilized optimally.

This is where a comprehensive understanding of space management systems becomes crucial. From addressing the complexities of scheduling and booking to adapting to ever-changing organizational needs, the intricacies of space management are both multifaceted and significant.

What are the benefits of Office Space Management Software?

Downsizing Office Space

Modern office space management software provides data-driven insights that enable businesses to right-size their office spaces. By understanding actual space utilization patterns through space utilization software, companies can make informed decisions about downsizing, potentially leading to significant cost savings without compromising employee needs.

Reducing Costs

The strategic use of space optimization software directly contributes to cost reduction. By optimizing the use of available space, minimizing unused areas, and efficiently managing resources, businesses can substantially lower operational expenses related to real estate and facilities management.

Improving Employee Experience

Workspace management software enhances the employee experience by providing a flexible and responsive work environment. Features like real-time booking systems and usage analytics ensure that employees have access to the spaces they need when they need them, thereby boosting morale and job satisfaction.

Team Coordination and Productivity

Effective workplace planning fosters better team coordination and productivity. It streamlines the process of scheduling and booking resources, reducing conflicts and downtime. This improved coordination ensures that teams can collaborate effectively, regardless of their physical location.

Hitting ESG Targets

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) targets are increasingly important for businesses. Space management software can help in achieving these goals by promoting efficient use of resources, reducing carbon footprint through optimized space utilization, and fostering a more sustainable work environment with the help of environmental sensors.

Space Management statistics

The impact of space management can be best understood through data and statistics that reflect its significance in the modern workplace:

The Changing Value of Office Real Estate

By 2030, office real estate value could potentially drop by up to $1.3 trillion, a shift driven by evolving work models and space utilization patterns. Companies are on the lookout for workspace solutions that fit their flexible models and allow optimum usage of their office space.

Reduction in Space Requirements

A study by Mckinsey suggests that remote work and flexible work policies will enable organizations to reduce their need for office space by 30%.

Employee Preferences for Hybrid Work

Only 6% of U.S. employees in remote-capable jobs prefer to work fully onsite. In contrast, 34% prefer to be fully remote, and 59% favor hybrid arrangements.
Around 93% of employees voice a preference for hybrid or remote work opportunities. Limiting these options could lead to a higher rate of employee attrition. The cost of replacing an individual employee can range from one-half to two times that employee’s annual salary and US businesses collectively lose about $1 trillion due to voluntary turnover.

Productivity and Employee Benefits

Of the employers who updated their employee benefits packages after shifting to remote work models, 63% reported increased employee productivity

Cost Savings Through Space Optimization

Companies leveraging space management tools report up to 30% savings in operational costs due to more efficient space usage and reduced real estate expenditures.

Useful Space Management tools to help downsize office space

In the mission to optimize office space, especially when downsizing, the best space management software can make all the difference. Embracing technology like space control software to manage and analyze how space is used in your organization is key to creating an efficient, adaptable, and cost-effective work environment. From seat management software for desk and room booking systems to visitor management and workplace analytics, each tool plays a crucial role in transforming how we understand and utilize our office spaces. Let’s explore some essential workspace management tools that Kadence offers, designed to streamline operations and enhance the overall workplace experience.

Desk Booking Software

Hot Desk Booking is no longer just about reserving a workspace; it represents the adaptability of an organization to its employees’ varying needs. The ideal system allows for ease of use, and flexibility, and provides real-time insights into workplace utilization. This not only ensures that employees find the right space for their work but also helps in tracking and optimizing desk usage across the organization.

Conference Room Booking Software

Effective room booking is key to maximizing the utilization of meeting spaces, especially in a hybrid work environment where the need for physical meeting spaces can fluctuate dramatically. An efficient occupancy management software can help manage this. Conference Room Booking Software offers visibility into room availability, allows easy scheduling, and provides insights into usage patterns to ensure that meeting spaces cater to a variety of needs and work styles.

A Visitor Management System

To effectively organize your workspace using space allocation software, it’s crucial to first understand the frequency and identity of the visitors utilizing the space. Perhaps your sales department is inviting the most visitors on-site, requiring particular office neighborhoods for meetings. Alternatively, it might be your finance team that often brings visitors on-site to the office. Utilizing a visitor management system will allow you to gather data on the volume and regularity of visitors, so you can facilitate a comfortable check-in process for guests and consider how your employees can appropriately welcome and escort visitors around the office.

Workplace Analytics and Data

A staple when it comes to space management software is Workplace Insights. Being able to visualize and track all of your booking data and space data in one place is the key to optimizing your office space and reducing costs. Understanding the most popular days your team’s book to come in, as well as the most popular spaces your teams use vs. the ones they don’t. Getting to grips with the effectiveness of your hybrid policies by seeing how many canceled or ‘no-show’ bookings there are and seeing all of this, all in one place streamlines all of your process at once.

How does Office Space Management Software work?

To start managing your spaces with facility space management software, first, check out your workspace. Look at how big it is, what each area does, and what resources you have. Using building space management software lets you keep an eye on your spaces all the time. You can see how employees book spaces and use this info to make your workspace better. This way, your workspace can change as needs change and keep being a good place to work. The software can also help you manage floor plans and understand the square footage of your office.

Start with 4 simple steps:

1. Track, manage, and optimize your spaces with a real-time booking tracker

By tracking your bookings as they occur with occupancy software, you not only get to project upcoming reservations but you can see how your spaces are being used in real-time. This allows you to load balance your office and manage them efficiently to meet the needs of your teams and keep every safe. In utilizing a space management solution that provides sophisticated analytics, displayed in an easy-to-understand layout, you’re now able to make strategic choices specifically suited to your team and organization’s needs.

2. Measure the success of your hybrid policy with Attendance Metrics

Grappling with the best hybrid work policy for you and your teams can take time and experimentation to find the right balance that benefits everyone. By visualizing a comprehensive view of all space bookings and cancellations over any given time frame with the best office space management software, you’re able to assess the efficiency of your hybrid work policy by seeing clear attendance metrics at a glance. These data points are crucial in making informed decisions about future office utilization. This is not just about booking spaces; or naming and shaming teams; it’s about strategic space management that aligns with your team and organization’s goals, ensuring no space is underutilized and that unnecessary costs are eliminated.

3. Maximize the use of your resources

Space Management Software provides a streamlined overview of all of your vital resources such as understanding conference room usage over any chosen timeframe. This allows Facility Managers to track room usage patterns, thereby gaining insights into which rooms and resources are more popular than others, or better still, understanding why 3-person meetings are being held in a room with a capacity for 10 people! This data is presented visually through a Room Occupancy Overview Daily Occupancy Heat Map. These combined offer a clear picture of room occupancy rates at different times of the day, providing valuable information for strategic planning and decision-making. It can aid in assessing the efficiency of room usage, identifying underutilized spaces, and implementing strategies to optimize space utilization. This asset management and facility management tool can be a game changer.

4. Download the specific Data you need for reporting

Being able to extract the data you need is a crucial yet key component of Space Management Software. Being able to view, access, and expand each space management widget to observe, enlarge, and export its data with the help of space software. Alongside its easy-to-integrate capabilities with your existing workplace software or reporting platforms, you can utilize Kadence’s sophisticated analytics directly within the Kadence web application itself. A straight-up out-of-the-box solution that allows for data interpretation, analysis, and the implementation of future cost-efficiency enhancements to your spaces all in one place.

Author bio

Luke Christian-Farman

Luke heads up product marketing at Kadence, where he’s all about unveiling cool new features to help customers smash their hybrid workspace goals. When he’s not shaking up the office scene, you’ll find him roaming the Sussex South Downs in the South East of England with his family, sipping tea and chasing pheasants with his boys.

Cut real estate costs and drive collaboration with improved workspace management tools

Posted on December 6, 2023January 9, 2024 by Luke Christian-Farman

The objective of workspace management is designed to save you money on your office real estate and, more importantly, boost your team’s productivity. Understanding what is workspace and the principles of space management helps to create organized, flexible spaces that put you in control. With this new enhancement to managed workspace, you can feel confident about your workspaces, understand their usage, and identify who uses them, enabling you to make swift decisions about your spaces with absolute certainty.

Read on to discover more.

Streamline and manage desk reservations, meeting rooms, and other essential resources with workspace management tools

Experience the ease of clear workplace booking information in one place. Seamlessly integrate booking and reservation details into a single space management system, enhancing your workplace experience and staying informed about current and future bookings to optimize workspace allocation and resource utilization. Kadence Space Management Software, a comprehensive space management solution, simplifies data analysis by presenting high-level insights in a user-friendly format. This enables you to quickly understand and act on them, empowering you to make informed decisions tailored to your team’s and organization’s specific requirements, promoting productivity, efficiency, and desk booking collaboration as part of your workplace strategy.

Track and optimize the success of your hybrid work policy, ensuring productivity and employee satisfaction

Assess the effectiveness of your hybrid work model and easily analyze attendance data to guide future decisions regarding office usage. Understand the booking trends and in-office rhythms of your teams to help you cater to their needs or modify your hybrid work policy. By simply looking at your bookings, cancelations, and no-shows, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of workplace management. This helps you determine if your hybrid work policy is effective, enabling you to confidently make informed decisions to enhance employee productivity and streamline operations using a space management system.

Maximize the utilization of office workspace, identifying unused areas and popular spots for improvement

Conference rooms are a precious resource. They’re limited, in high demand, and often not used efficiently. With Kadence, a workspace manager, you can easily streamline your conference rooms with a comprehensive overview of their usage. Our workspace planning analytics allows you to effortlessly track and analyze conference room usage patterns. This enables you to make data-driven decisions for optimal space allocation, so you can implement the necessary changes in your workspace design. You can also gain valuable insights into the popularity and demand of specific rooms and resources through our intuitive Daily Occupancy Heat Map, a key part of our space management systems. This visual representation highlights usage trends, indicating which rooms and resources are in high demand. With this valuable information, you can effectively optimize your conference room usage, ensuring efficient resource allocation that meets the demands of your workforce.

Download your workspace booking data, and analyze it to make improvements

Kadence revolutionizes workspace management like never before. With just a click, you can access a multitude of data widgets that provide a wealth of information. From viewing, and enlarging, to downloading relevant data, everything is at your fingertips. Whether you integrate it seamlessly with your existing office software or use Kadence’s comprehensive analytics within the web app, you’ll be equipped with the necessary tools to understand your workspace. Through meticulous analysis and scrutiny of this data, you can make informed decisions and strategically plan for cost-saving enhancements, ensuring optimal workspace utilization.

Discover more about workspace management and how you can cut workspace costs by checking out the essential guide to Space Management Software.

Download your workspace booking data, and analyze it to make improvements

Author bio

Luke Christian-Farman

Not prioritizing Flex Work? You won’t like what’s really going on

Posted on November 30, 2023February 26, 2024 by Gillian Brookes

In my hometown, I get more unsolicited emails and messages from one particular organization than any other. It’s led by a chief executive who doesn’t believe in the benefits of flex work. The emails and messages I receive are from frustrated employees and leaders who wish they had access to the kind of flex work that other similar organizations now take for granted.

Everyone else in my hometown knows how inflexible that organization is in reality. I have reached out to this chief executive recently to let him know, candidly and sensitively of course, that all is not well within his organisation. I have offered my help and even offered it for free, given how far behind they are compared to the rest of our city. So far, I haven’t had a reply!

Flex goes underground

What’s happening inside his organization is that flexibility is being offered, but leaders are doing it under the radar. Clandestine arrangements are being put in place so that leaders can do what they can to retain their team members and avoid the pain and cost of losing them to another company down the road. These deals are being inconsistently applied, often favoring the top performers, and creating resentment across teams and different parts of the business.

It’s a lose-lose situation

The organization is missing out on potential productivity gains and they’re also accepting a higher risk of burnout and stress levels across their workforce. They’ve given themselves one less lever in their carbon emissions reduction strategy. With flexibility, you can reduce your workforce’s commuting and property needs, which significantly reduces your carbon emissions.

If you’re not prioritizing flex, this is the kind of scenario you can expect. Your leaders will be giving people flexibility anyway and they will be doing it inconsistently. They’ll be undermining what you thought was going on by putting flex deals in place. These bad habits eat away at your leadership trust and cohesion. You’re also missing out on the kind of benefits you can expect if you were to bring flex out into the light.

You’re probably spending eight percent more on salary than you need to, which is on average how much flexible workers value their ways of working. You’ll be selling yourself short when it comes to attracting and retaining the right people, especially with underrepresented groups including women, people with disabilities, and people from minority backgrounds.

You might expect that I’ll tell you to release the shackles, open up all types of flex across your entire organization, and open the floodgates.

No, don’t do that either. You’ll just get chaos and it’ll make you wish you’d left it well alone!

By doing that you’ll end up with flex arrangements in place that don’t work. I’ve met enough flex-hesitant leaders over the years who have good reasons for being cautious. Here’s how you can avoid going from bad to worse when you open up more flex.

Start with a strategy

First, develop a workforce strategy that lines up with what your organization is trying to achieve.

What ways of working are going to help you deliver on that strategy?
How will that differ across different parts of your workforce?
How can you make that clear and measurable?

You’ll want to track your progress as well as look out for unintended consequences. This way you’ll adjust, do more of the good stuff, and let go of what isn’t working.

Building new skills

Next, support your leaders and team members to build the skills that they need for success in today’s flexible world of work. Training your managers to make great flexible work decisions with their teams is critical. They are exhausted right now. The world of work changed so drastically in the last three years and they are tired of having to work it out on their own. Give them the cheat codes and they will deliver for you, just as they have in the past. Avoid the common mistake of relying on a policy and an email launch with a video from the chief executive. This flex shift needs to be a lot better supported than that.

Make flex your priority

If you want to lean into the new and fast-evolving world of work, prioritize flex, but do it in the right way. You’ll find that you’ll attract and retain the right people, make significant productivity gains, reduce your risk of workforce burnout, and significantly reduce your carbon emissions while taking the pressure off your salary bill.

So, why wouldn’t you?

Guest Author bio

Gillian Brookes

Flex expert and workforce strategist based in Wellington, New Zealand. She is also the author of Flexperts – getting the best from flex in a world that’s ever changing. Gillian’s Flexperts course also helps managers get the best from flexible working.

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

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.

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

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

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

Desk Sharing: Top Tips for Optimizing Your Workplace

Posted on March 15, 2023October 2, 2023 by Dan Bladen

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.

5 reasons why hybrid work builds healthier communities

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Dan Bladen

Business leaders contemplating the balance between remote and in-person work face an important question:

With so many moving parts, how can I ensure our company culture and community don’t suffer?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question won’t come overnight. The truth is — each company must come to its own understanding of how the implementation of hybrid work affects their workforce and culture.

One thing is for certain, though. When companies get hybrid right, it does more than just solve this one conundrum.

Let’s explore why Hybrid work is fundamental to building community in the modern workplace.

Hybrid work promotes meaningful connections and collaboration

As humans, we are deeply wired to rely on social interaction for our sense of fulfilment and happiness.

In the context of a recent societal shift towards more time spent alone, it’s more important than ever that the workplace acts a source of regular human contact in our daily lives.

Implementing a hybrid work system is fundamental to ensuring this regular contact. By encouraging the right balance of in-person and remote work, companies will reignite relationships that faded to the background during the pandemic, and bring a sense of community back to the workplace.

Choosing the right tool for hybrid work can go even further to ensuring that interactions between coworkers are both meaningful and productive. Kadence’s new Homepage feature helps you connect with the right people at the right times, showing you your team’s weekly schedule all in one place, and a breakdown of the specific teams and coworkers going in on each day.

Whether you’re missing those round-the-monitor chats, or sticky notes creative workshops, being in lockstep with your colleagues’ work Kadence will set you up for both meaningful social interactions and productive collaboration.

Hybrid communities are built on trust

The Hybrid Manifesto outlines trust as one of the four main pillars underlying Hybrid work. To word it even more strongly: trust runs deep in the DNA of hybrid organizations.

With unique insight into work schedules, habits and commitments, workers in hybrid teams are immediately rooted in an environment of transparency and openness.

This transparency and openness filters down to every aspect of a company’s internal communication. It strips away misunderstandings, builds cooperation and ensures that team coordination is an automatic feature of a company’s operations — not a separate, complex task of its own.

Community building — and strengthening social bonds — takes time. It requires incremental improvements to a large number of relationships within an organization.

Without a basic foundation of trust in the company, it will be even harder for these relationships to evolve. Implementing hybrid work effectively will set your team up for success from the get go.

Independence no longer needs to come at a cost

As mentioned before, the mass migration to remote work has had some significant side effects when it comes to mental health. A recent study by the Harvard Graduate Program found that 36% of Americans report “serious loneliness”.

One of the main benefits associated with remote work — independence and autonomy — seems to have come at the cost of basic, low-level satisfaction.

Hybrid work systems seek to address that toxic dynamic, by protecting one’s right to independence at the same time as enabling the right amount of social exposure.

The key to this? Knowing when it’s the right time to commute. Luckily, there are plenty of tools out there that can help you plan. Kadence’s User Homepage comes with smart recommendations that suggest optimal days to go into the office based on you and your starred colleagues’ schedules.

If a colleague cancels their booking at the last minute, Kadence will immediately send you notification letting you know — thus saving you a commute to the office that day.

Keeping markers in your week for when you are guaranteed a dose of social interaction is transformative to the feeling that you are master of your own autonomy — and not the other way around.

The perpetual cycle of flourishing

The success of a company is as much of an important factor in the health of its community as anything else.

A study conducted by PwC recently revealed that 57% of companies reported increased productivity after transitioning to a hybrid model. The message is laid out clearly: hybrid teams feel empowered to deliver results.

That’s because when employees thrive personally, companies experience the direct benefits — down to the bottom line. By offering great work-life balance, protecting mental health and reestablishing company culture, hybrid organizations maximize the chance that their employees remain happy.

In doing so, workers exist in a relationship with their company whereby one’s flourishing only enhances the other’s. A perpetual cycle.

Everyone is on the same page, all the time

One of the most powerful benefits of a Hybrid work model is the sheer force of alignment that it fosters between employees and the company.

When everyone knows the game plan — week in, week out — it means there is no doubt over the movement and direction of the company.

Imagine you load up your web browser at the beginning of your workday. Your first tab is the Kadence web app, a hybrid work tool that your company introduced at the beginning of the year. Its homepage displays an office activity graph, with bars for the activity of all teams relevant to you.

You feel like you are in an excellent position to execute on your tasks and goals for the week ahead. Wednesday would be the optimal day for you to collaborate with the design team on those upcoming user interviews, while it seems like Friday would be great to catch up with the engineers on some questions regarding your user stories.

The power of alignment cannot be understated when it comes to building a healthy, successful community. Hybrid teams know this because they’ve learned it from experience.

This piece began as a challenging question that business owners face when it comes to organizing their teams and establishing community. We hope we’ve persuaded you that Hybrid work — with its inherent focus on trust, alignment and the wellbeing of employees — is the first step towards answering that question. We also hope that you’ve seen how adopting the right hybrid tools will ensure that the community you set about building in your company is strong, effective and healthy.

If you’d like to read more about how Kadence’s new Homepage feature can help you coordinate your team, please check out the post here.

Effective Team Building for a Hybrid Workforce

Posted on September 12, 2022November 1, 2023 by Dan Bladen

Hybrid workforces present unique conundrums – the contrast between those in the office and those not can increase the difficulties of engaging remote employees. For team building, this often results in the haves and have-nots. Beyond having great audio-visual equipment, that can make group meetings sound and look close to their in-person counterparts, there are a few things leaders can consider to create team-building activities that engage and unite both constituencies.

Here are three concepts spectrums to consider when planning out events for your team that may or may not be 100% in person. Making sure you’re getting the balance right across these spectrums will ensure a rich and inclusive environment for your hybrid team-building activities.

Coordinated vs. asynchronous

With people in disparate locations, it’s hard, and sometimes impossible, to do something simultaneously and have it be fun for everyone. Speaking as someone who has worked 11 time zones away from their colleagues, Zoom pizza-making classes just aren’t that fun at 5 am.

Another factor with asynchronous events is that getting people to act silly or be vulnerable can be more challenging because you have to save the proof and share it across time zones. This is why Snapchat was so successful; people are much more willing to share things if their video disappears in 24 hours. Thus asynchronous isn’t great for emotional team-building events, but it can be good for light-hearted competition or driving repeatable 1:1 engagements. That being said, live events are the gold standard for shared experiences. Setting up opportunities for group experiences is a core foundation of many team-building plans.

Asynchronous Ideas

Visual bake sale. The entire team bakes something off of one recipe, competing to make the most visually appealing version. Those in the office can taste test, but the winner is for the presentation. Points are also awarded for the biggest failures!
Scavenger hunts designed for teams that are mixed between home and office ensure people are mingling despite the location. This is also a great virtual-only option
Coffee Donut in Slack, an often noted application over the pandemic, but it’s much better when there’s a chance for a real, barista-made coffee for those coming into the office at least sporadically

Concurrent ideas

Magicians and other entertainers who have pivoted their shows to virtual are now offering combo performances, where they perform live in the office but professionally recorded so those at home can also experience it.
Some classes can work in a hybrid situation, such as cocktail making or a virtual painting class. It’s not quite the same for people at home, but it does allow everyone to enjoy their output.
Meyers-Briggs and other personality or work style assessments. While the inputting of the survey is alone time, understanding how different styles work together via a facilitator works just as well in person and virtual.

Collaborative vs. Competitive

Lots of team building, particularly the “fun” stuff, is either competitive or collaborative. To decide which option is suitable for your team, it’s good to ascertain what problem you are solving. If your team is suffering from disenchantment and a loss of purpose – competitive! Harness the bonding power of “us versus them!” But a collaborative event is more beneficial if your team is suffering from too much-siloed work and losing the chance to problem-solve together.

Competitive

Screenshot Bingo: Challenge your team to screenshot or photograph humorous office moments off of their custom Bingo cards, like twin outfits in the office, someone’s cat appearing on screen, or the ubiquitous “you’re on mute” moment in the team call.
Murder mystery (and other traditional games): Anything that can be played over a more extended time period, allowing people to dip in and out, is great for hybrid teams. Fun prizes for winners are a must!

Collaborative

Escape rooms: make sure they are built on the idea of collaboration; if everyone is solving the same puzzle alone, it doesn’t give much bonding opportunity.

The Delight Factor

And one bonus! The delight factor! Delight is a way of saying how much of this activity is a special treat. Inviting a famous cocktail mixologist to share their craft using unique ingredients versus everyone grabbing a glass of their favorite beverage and doing a basic happy hour over Zoom are opposites on the delight scale. In normal times, both have their benefits, and not everything can be over the top. But this is an unprecedented moment in workplace rapport and aiming for the delight factor is an excellent way to welcome colleagues back to “normal” office life.

Bonding with colleagues is an important part of having a trusting, happy, productive team. Leaders who find ways to connect their remote and in-person teams, giving everyone ample opportunity to form deeper bonds with their colleagues, will find they have a more engaged, more effective workforce.

Your Business Needs a Hybrid Working Policy – Here’s what your need to consider

Posted on August 19, 2022November 1, 2023 by Dan Bladen

Hybrid working is one of the most important conversations in business currently. Whether your team has been hybrid from day one or you have transitioned to a more hybrid setup, your business needs a proper policy. The word “policy” may sound scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Getting it right and a clear policy can create higher employee satisfaction and lower your costs, too.

Here, we’re sharing everything you need to know and consider to nail hybrid working.

Update your hybrid working policy on the regular

First things first, remote working is an ever-changing thing. Every business should make a habit of auditing how all employees are wanting to work (specifically new employees) and update their policy on the regular. It is important that everyone feels like they have a say in hybrid working. You can do this via employee surveys or by gathering team-by-team feedback. It’s also key to be clear and concise in your hybrid working policy to prevent any confusion. Clear is kind.

Ultimately, creating a policy is about giving your team opportunities to work from an office, home and in flexible workspaces near them – and how exactly they can do so. As a high proportion of teams get a full time office ones again, it is important to be clear with your employees how often they are expected to come in and when. No one wants to come into the office, only to be on zoom call all day.

Be sure to cover all aspects of hybrid work

That includes working locations (including international), working hours, booking systems, expensing workspace and travel. If it sounds challenging, don’t fret. We’ve got you.

Here’s a list of questions every business should ask themselves when creating a hybrid working policy:

Who does your hybrid working policy apply to – is it all staff, full-time staff only or otherwise?
How often are staff expected to come into the office and how will you determine what days employees to come in?
How will employees book desks or meeting rooms at the office?
Are staff able to work overseas?
Do we want to support our employees with local, on-demand workspace passes as part of our hybrid working policy? And if so, how will they book the space?
What data security measures do we need to mention to keep sensitive information safe when working remotely?
Do we want to offer core working hours or fixed working hours?
What is our remote working approval policy?

Bring together your People and Ops teams to answer these questions and you’ll be ready to create your hybrid working policy.

Get your hybrid working policy checklist here to ensure everything is covered as you transition your business model to a hybrid work model.

Give your team a workspace they want to go to

Over the past six months there has been a large uptick in demand for offices. Companies as part of their hybrid policy are expecting and/or offering employees to work from their company office.

It is important to recognise that in order to be persuaded to come to the office, employee are demanding higher quality office, with a range of amenities. At Tally Market, we are seeing companies downsize their office but upgrading the quality of their office in order to galvanise their employees to come in and collaborate.

Things to consider when choosing an office:

Location (it is important to consider commenting times and local bars/events for socials)
Size (most companies are getting an office approx 60% of their total workforce)
Access meeting rooms
Amenities – bike racks, showers and coffee machine are a must. Nice to haves include roof terraces, gyms, on-site cafes, barista made drinks, events.

Access to on-demand coworking and meeting rooms

During the pandemic, remote working for many businesses was straightforward: everyone worked from home until further notice. Simple. However, as the world has opened back up, you have the opportunity to be more creative with how your team works remotely. Enter flexible workspaces, meeting rooms and venues.

When thinking about hybrid working, working from home and working from the office aren’t your only options. For some people, working from home doesn’t work well. Whatever the case, giving your people access to on-demand coworking and meeting rooms help teams stay local, switch up their environment and spark new ideas. Giving your teams access to flexible workspaces closer to where they live is a new way of supporting them.

If you’re looking for help in approaching hybrid working, look no further. Tally Market’s team can help your team find a new full time office to call home and/or give them access to thousands of on-demand spaces across the globe.