One of the most common questions we get asked at Level is what other companies are doing to get staff back in the office. Some of our clients, such as Lunio, have seen attendances jump by more than 100% and staff coming into the office even on work from home days – but many businesses are struggling to replicate this achievement.

There’s no specific secret, but striking the right balance between in-person and remote is vital. Hybrid models are proving incredibly popular for this reason, but it’s not enough to just rent a hybrid office space and hope for the best.

Listening, learning and giving people what they want

It’s vital to listen to your employees and gauge their demand for an office compared to working from home. Not everyone can come back as they did before Covid, and many don’t want to return full time at all.

Whatever way you look at it, working remotely has some unique advantages that office life can’t provide. For example, people with family commitments and additional needs can often get a better quality of life with remote work, and you need to take that into account.

However, working from home isn’t for everyone. It might not be an environment that suits certain people, and many will appreciate having the option of attending an office at least some of the time.

With that in mind, the best way to adapt to the future of work and keep your people happy and motivated is to find out what employees do want. Examples include:

·      A flexible working timetable

·      Diverse and inclusive spaces

·      Collaboration areas and events

·      Building and local amenities (like a gym, restaurants, digital connectivity, transport links, etc.)

Once you have worked out what your team really want and need – rather than making an assumption that might be incorrect – you can start looking for a space which provides these things.

A good example of this is Deloitte which recently moved into a new space in Manchester city centre. The company's new home at 100 Embankment is designed with features that accommodate the firm's hybrid working model including flexible workspaces, a wellness room, nursing room, interfaith room and social spaces. It also benefits from a focus on sustainability features such as low carbon building materials, no fossil fuel use on site, cycle racks, EV charging points and more.

The world of work isn’t the same as it was. If you want the best employees, you need to adapt to what’s going on. In other words, shaping your workspace around your employees rather than insisting they go somewhere which makes them unhappy and demotivated.

What type of office is best for your company?

What that looks like will be different for every company, and there are different types of office spaces that might suit you including serviced, leased and managed spaces to rent.

No matter what you choose, there are some things you can doto give yourself the best chance of getting people excited about returning to the office.

To get you started, here are some best practice suggestions which can help keep your people happy, encourage them back to the office and get them motivated to drive business growth:

Lead by example

Passive-aggressive emails from your office manager aren’t going to cut it. You need to be driving from the front, working from the office yourself and demonstrating the effectiveness of being in. Doing that and giving your time to help the team will accelerate their learning development.

Strengthen your culture

Culture is so much more than a ping-pong table and a 4pm finish. Create a setting that encourages performance and caters to each person’s capabilities and preferences. Listen to your team and invest in them to find success.

Invest in workspace inclusivity

Amplify under-represented voices and make reasonable adjustments like neurodiverse lighting for certain workers, disabled access provisions and prayer rooms to cater to religious employees. By providing somewhere inclusive, you’re creating a welcoming space that helps everyone reach their full potential.

Schedule in team days

Your staff are your biggest selling point when it comes to getting others in, so arrange days where whole teams can come together as opposed to just a handful of employees. Create a culture of collaboration and you will reap the rewards.

If you can get those right, you will create an environment that boosts performance and makes people actively want to be involved.

How can Level help?

At Level, we take a holistic approach which considers all aspects of your organisation, from your top-level strategic goals to the needs and wants of your staff. We work with you and your team to find the perfect space and negotiate on your behalf to get the best possible deal.

Want to learn more about how renting hybrid office space in Manchester can help your company grow? Get in touch with the team today to find out how Level can help you.  

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