As state and local governments reopen the economy, it’s clear that returning to the workplace will not only be a gradual and measured effort, but also that the “office” as we’ve known it can no longer look or function like it had before. This is only the beginning of a new era of business.
With six-foot social distancing, density reduction, an increased use of contactless technologies and health and safety protocols, business leaders will need to think differently before executing reentry into the workplace. The coronavirus has officially rewritten the way business works.
H. Hendy Associates (Hendy), a Southern California-based leading interior architecture and planning firm, has developed a three-phase playbook to assist businesses in reentering the workplace. Here’s a sampling of the considerations within:
Space Risk Mitigation
Physical changes may include occupancy density reduction to meet six-foot social distancing requirements in personal workspaces and common areas. Implementing staggered or block schedules can assist with this. Temporary measures, such as adding screens, panels and barriers, will also assist in reducing the risk of infection, as will more rigorous workplace cleaning and maintenance practices.
Continuing Technology Innovation
New toolkits. New options. We will undoubtedly come out of this with new skills and a better understanding of how technology can enhance and support the future knowledge worker. In the coming months, we will see businesses adopting new virtual collaboration platforms, potentially utilizing augmented reality and other exciting, emerging tools. Built environments will likely begin adopting touchless solutions that use voice activation, motion sensors and virtual receptions to support a more hands-free environment.
Employee User Experience
User experience is at the heart of it all. In striving to make workplaces healthy and employees feel safe and productive, businesses must effectively communicate new protocols and expectations upon returning to the office. Management must also engage with their employees to understand the readiness of their workforce.
Change Management
As businesses begin to bring people back to work, they must be prepared to communicate changes and the many ways in which employee safety and health are being addressed. Documenting and communicating change in an effective manner will help improve buy-in and ensure that employees comply with new guidelines. Remember, however, that change should be communicated in ways that are easy to understand, recall and follow. Enter the journey map: a single-source guide for a new onsite experience that helps limit the need for employees to physically search the office for answers.
A Certified-Healthy Workplace
Now more than ever, the workforce is thinking about their health and how their surroundings are physically and mentally impacting their wellbeing. As people return to work, they may have several unanswered questions such as: will the office be sanitized? Are viruses living on the surfaces? Will the air I breathe be clean or just recirculated? These concerns can be addressed by working with an interior architect to design a Well-certified office with accreditation from the International Well Building Institute or Fitwel, a star rating system based on how many wellness strategies are successfully implemented.
One thing many of us have learned from our collective work-from-home experience is that we are social beings. We need to gather. We yearn to collaborate in person. And despite all the talk about a distributed workforce, the office remains relevant. Take this as an opportunity to pause, reexamine your priorities and reset your corporate vision. Focus on building a better office with the adaptability needed to evolve, and consider how your employees and your space can best support your long-term objectives.
Heidi Hendy is the founder and managing principal at H. Hendy Associates (Hendy), a Southern California-based interior architecture and planning firm commemorating 40 years in business. Anna Grayhek is a workplace strategist and certified change practitioner at Hendy with more than 20 years of experience planning and designing commercial offices for clients like Behr Paint Company, Monster Energy, Yamaha Music and more. To learn more about Hendy and the firm’s newest product offering, “The New Generation Space,” focused specifically on helping businesses adapt to today’s new normal, visit hhendy.com or contact Hendy at (949) 851-3080 and heidi@hendy.com.
