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Does Your Office Support Hybrid Working in 2025?

Writer's picture: UCLUCL

Does your office facilitate flexible, remote, or hybrid working? As we enter another post-pandemic year, the expectation for companies to offer flexible working opportunities is still very present and hybrid models are expected to become the dominant way of working in 2025.


These requirements differ from company to company, so whatever model you offer, hybrid working doesn’t just require a remote working policy; it requires a well-designed infrastructure that encourages collaboration and productivity both onsite and off-site. So, let’s take a look at how you can create a supportive workplace for all with our guide to hybrid office design.


  1. Hybrid Working Spaces

If your team spends most of their time working from home they will be used to a certain level of privacy and flexibility that most office layouts can’t provide. You risk seeing productivity plummet during the days that your employees spend working in the office unless you have a hybrid workspace that meets their needs, so don’t stick to what you know just because it has worked for your business in the past.


Rather than fitting your office with rows and rows of desks, take a step back and consider the different working styles that your employees have developed over the past few years and ask yourself how you can adapt the workspace to meet their preferences. This includes doing away with the usual office layout and offering a range of private and collaborative spaces, including private offices, quiet zones, and meeting rooms. After all, not everyone thrives in a bustling open-plan office, but not everyone wants to be cooped up in a cubicle either, so let your team choose their preferred way of working this year.


  1. Integrated Connectivity

Even if you offer a fully hybrid contract to all of your employees, it is unlikely that the office will be completely empty on any given day. There will always be employees that prefer working in the office and those who prefer to work from home and travel into the office for important meetings and regular team catch-ups. So how do you maintain consistent connectivity with all these key parties working in different locations?


In order to connect the gap between in-office and remote employees, and the clients that they are responsible for, you’ll need to turn to technology. This includes investing in meeting rooms that centre around video conferencing rather than table discussions, with large screens and reliable sound systems, and providing quiet spaces for employees to join 1-1 video catchups without being disturbed. These quiet spaces should also be equipped with speakers, webcams, and a charging point to keep your employees connected, no matter where they are working from.


  1. Flexible Layouts

A truly hybrid workplace caters to all of the different working styles by giving employees the opportunity to reconfigure their work stations as needed. As well as having designated working zones that are set up with fixed office walls, adaptable workplaces should also incorporate moveable partitions and adjustable walls to create a new office layout in just a few minutes.


For example, when your large meeting room isn’t being used for weekly team catchups, moveable partitions can quickly divide the space into private zones for individual use. The key to making the most of these spaces is to make them as easy to rearrange as possible, so furnish each space with configurable office furniture that’s easy to rearrange and invest in a design that can be adapted as needed to meet the changing needs of your team.


  1. Focus on Collaboration

In a hybrid working model, most employees will not see their coworkers everyday. This makes it more important than ever for businesses to prioritise collaboration and encourage their employees to connect with their colleagues when they’re in the office, both for the good of the company and for their interpersonal working relationships.


To encourage this teamwork, the office design should include structured spaces for brainstorming sessions, practice pitches, and regular catchups. Rather than having these spaces focused around a table, furnish them instead with comfortable seating, large whiteboards on the walls, and features like projectors and laptop ports to keep the conversations and creativity flowing.


Balance these areas with enough private spaces for every employee to focus on their individual responsibilities as needed, and you have the perfect workplace that not only makes the time spent in the office more productive, but also aligns with the ever-changing demands of hybrid and remote work.


Choose Us for Your 2025 Office Refit Project

Looking for a commercial refurbishment contractor that shares your vision and has the expertise to make it a reality?


We work across the counties of Southern England and operate on a full project management basis, so contact us today to discuss your requirements and find out how we can help.

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