The global COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching impacts.
Among them was the almost-overnight shift to working from home. Organizations throughout the world closed offices and sent office employees home to work. Thanks to internet connections and cloud-based solutions, video conferencing platforms and VPNs, workers managed their day-to-day tasks from their home office, couch, or kitchen table, and companies continued to function.
After months of working from home, companies have started to return employees to the office, or are making plans for when and how that will happen.
Most organizations are adopting a hybrid approach to work: employees will spend part of their time in the office and part of their time working from home. This approach provides employees and employers with flexibility, while bringing back in-person collaboration in the office and reinforcing corporate culture.
As employees return to the office, the role of the office building is shifting. "Companies that adopt a hybrid approach will likely use offices to develop more emotional connections, facilitate collaboration, and create human experiences," Deloitte reports in their 2021 Commercial Real Estate Outlook.
What these collaboration spaces will look like is spelled out in greater detail in a paper from Panduit and Atlona: Office 2.0: Returning to Work in a Post-COVID World.
The next generation of corporate office space will be used to showcase brands, attract and retain employees, and inspire collaboration, culture, and community supported by an increasing investment in building technology; a place where people want to work.
The infrastructure that enables Office 2.0 will need to support a greater reliance on technology. Changes that will be implemented as part of the return-to-the-office will accelerate the adoption of intelligent building solutions.
With collaboration as a key role, you can expect your conference rooms and meeting spaces to do extra duty. Your employees will appreciate a thoughtful and robust approach in these rooms:
Panduit and Atlona are here to help you plan for your return to the office. With a wide range of AV equipment for collaboration spaces, and the infrastructure to support smart buildings, we are your one-stop shop for the next generation of office.
Check out our new solution guide:
Infrastructure to Support Adapting Technologies in Hybrid Workspaces.
Hybrid: it's the word of the day when discussing a return to the office. Most corporations that embraced work from home during the pandemic are bringing employees back to the office in some type of hybrid scenario: a mix of work from home and work from the office. This hybrid approach to work brings a different set of challenges that impact everything from collaboration spaces to wireless networks and security.
Panduit and Atlona are uniquely positioned to help with Office 2.0 upgrades - helping you create a space that is efficient, safe, and a place where employees want to be.
Check out our new solution guide: Infrastructure to Support Adapting Technologies in Hybrid Workspaces to see how we can help you re-create your office space.
Employees working hybrid schedules post-pandemic
Almost 50% of companies will modernize office space
Executives consider health and safety top priorities
In this Panduit-hosted webinar on Cabling Installation & Maintenance, we talk to industry experts about what the return to the office will look like.
