AVT Question: Please share your insight into trends that will play a role in hybrid workplace culture, space planning, and technologies in 2024.
Thought Leader: Brian Trampler, Senior Manager of Product and Strategy at Black Box
The hybrid work environment doesn’t seem like a far-off ideal as we move into 2024. Unlike the temporary response to the pandemic, there’s a major shift in how we perceive and structure our work environment. Organizational culture change is one of the primary trends we are experiencing. Determining the appropriate balance between work and family time was a challenge for businesses worldwide. The majority of workers spend two to three days a week at the office, while the leadership prefers that workers spend at least three days there.
The hybrid work model is trying to solve this issue and put an end to this debate. A hybrid workplace allows individuals to work at places wherever they feel most productive. Companies are adopting flexible work schedules instead of the antiquated 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. norm. It enables employee assessment based on results rather than hours spent in the office; this model fosters a culture of trust and autonomy.
Project management tools, cloud-based, real-time document sharing, audio-visual integrations, video conferencing software, and many other technologies are boosting productivity and teamwork while improving the usage of the hybrid workplace." —Brian Trampler, Senior Manager of Product and Strategy at Black Box
Another trend that emerged to support collaborative work and individual contributors is space planning. We are seeing a decline in traditional cubical workplaces with a rise in the hot-desking model, where employees don’t have an assigned seat. They can choose where to work based on their needs across the day. The flexible use of a workspace is enriched by the creation of silent zones for focused work and collaboration rooms for teamwork.
Finally, the success of a hybrid workplace is driven by technological innovations. Organizations are heavily investing in tools that support a hybrid work environment. Project management tools, cloud-based, real-time document sharing, audio-visual integrations, video conferencing software, and many other technologies are boosting productivity and teamwork while improving the usage of the hybrid workplace.
Offices are streamlined to accommodate individuals from multiple time zones and places. The workplace trends of 2023 will still influence and mold our work in 2024.
