5 Things You Should Know About the Modern Workplace (and How to Achieve One)

Categories: Advice for HR Professionals, Remote Hiring and Virtual Staffing
5 Things You Should Know About the Modern Workplace (and How to Achieve One)

The past few years have been transformational for the global workforce, particularly in workspace design. Note that this aspect covers not only the structural layout of offices but also other dynamics that characterize the modern workplace—from work ambiance to office tools and company culture.

Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook were among the first ones to jump on the trend of revolutionizing the concept of office work. They brought cutting-edge architecture, technologies, and amenities into their headquarters to cater to their employees’ diverse range of needs and preferences.

Just when everybody was getting accustomed to the idea of the modern workplace, we then fast forward to 2020 when many companies had to transition to remote work arrangements as a safety precaution against the COVID-19 virus.

In the face of these massive workplace changes, how can your office cut it? In this article, we will identify what a modern workplace is and how you can make your company one.

What is the Modern Workplace?

Unlike in the past, today’s workspaces are not bound to a fixed set of rules. Employers now realize employees need more than four walls and a ceiling to be efficient and productive.

As such, the modern workplace is highly flexible, reflecting a mix of physical and virtual offices, as well as work-live-and-play zones. But regardless of the work setup, the company culture remains at the heart of it all, as employees feel engaged and connected now more than ever.

So, what’s the bottom line? The best characteristic of a modern workplace is its ability to adapt to the ever-evolving needs of your business and employees.

5 Things to Know About a Modern Workplace

Different organizations have different takes here, but these themes or characteristics are noticeably present in the majority of modern workplace playbooks.

1. It can be fully remote

The practice of working from outside a physical office has been around for quite some time, with some companies offering remote work arrangements as part of the benefits that employees can enjoy—and then the pandemic happened. Now, remote work has become mainstream and is likely to be the norm in the years to come.

As long as you have a desktop or laptop connected to the internet, there’s no reason why you cannot work remotely. There’s no specific place to do remote work, either—one can work from home, a co-working space, or just about any work-conducive location available to employees.

2. It can be a hybrid or mix of both

In a hybrid workplace, employees can work remotely on certain days of the week and spend the other days clocking in at the office to perform their tasks.

For 83% of workers, it’s the ideal work environment that brings together the best of working onsite and offsite because while telecommuting can be productive for others, some employees work better when they are personally interacting with their colleagues.

A hybrid workplace also brings back a sense of normalcy into employees’ lives as they begin exploring the world outside of their homes again.

3. It improves productivity

Allowing employees to choose the work setup they’re most comfortable in makes them more empowered to deliver what’s expected of them.

Remote workers find it easier to concentrate on their tasks, away from the distractions they may encounter in a traditional office space. Meanwhile, staff from hybrid offices can avoid busy commute days and have enough time to complete their tasks in their preferred work environment during their most productive time.

By aligning tasks that can be performed better in the office and remote setup, you can expect your employees to manage their duties better and become more efficient as everyone adjusts.

4. It increases employee satisfaction

The modern workplace can directly impact employee satisfaction since workers have more control of where, when, or how they work. This level of freedom affords them a work-life balance, where they can be productive workers and still have enough time to spend with their family or devote to other rewarding endeavors.

5. It provides safety and security to employees

The modern workplace is designed to be a healthy work environment too. Companies may require a skeletal workforce to maintain critical operations, which means offices can enforce physical distancing strictly. Having fewer workers present in the office not only contributes to minimizing exposure to infections but also reduces employees’ sick days.

How to Achieve a Modern Workplace

Now that you have an overall idea of what should be in a modern workplace, here are the steps to implement this in your own company.

1. Align the changes with your business goals

Upgrading into a modern workplace should enable you to address specific areas where your business needs to improve. Perhaps you’re spending more time training new employees who have never worked remotely before than keeping them on board. 

A recruitment agency in the Philippines can help fill those gaps by eliminating the skills and working style mismatch when finding talent.

2. Take small steps

A modern workplace doesn’t happen overnight, nor does it maintain the status quo. It entails planning, execution, and continuous improvements for it to be effective.

If you have several teams in your organization, it might be better to transition one department at a time to a hybrid work setup rather than have all of them do it simultaneously. Then, use the results of your initial work to guide you along with the rest of your workplace improvement efforts.

3. Reflect it in your processes

Your workflows also need updating. Do you have health and safety measures in place for when employees or customers need to be in your office? Make an honest assessment of your current system, and then develop a workflow that meets all relevant guidelines under the new normal.

4. Embrace the digital revolution

No doubt, technology is the way of the future. And it would be amiss if you didn’t put it to good use to create a workspace where collaboration and communication are highly feasible despite your workers being in different locations. Plus, with the plethora of technologies available today, they’re proving to be a cost-effective tool to manage your business and employees.

Welcome to the Modern Workplace

A modern workplace has become the norm for more and more companies. In this kind of work environment, employers don’t need to dictate the location or work schedule of their employees. Instead, everyone in the organization is committed to discovering the technology, philosophy, and processes that can bring about employee satisfaction and business efficiency.

Learn more about the modern workplace and culture from Manila Recruitment. Contact us for more insights.