It has been a utopia for many years - flexible working without the stigma – now for many, it’s a reality, but its not without its challenges.

Many businesses are embracing this new opportunity, keen to find that crucial balance between productivity and wellbeing; to attract a new generation of talent whilst also meeting the needs of its established workforce.

Simon Hayes, meeting room and collaboration specialist at Sharp NEC Display Solutions, talks to Chris Southern of Midwich about the potential challenges and how these might be overcome.

Chris Southern, General Sales Manager, Enterprise solutions, Midwich Ltd.

Simon: 2020 saw many businesses perform a miracle as they remote work-enabled their workforce under very challenging circumstances. Now the dust is starting to settle, what is the key focus for businesses now?

Chris: With a vast amount of experience gained, businesses are now looking to invest in technology which will support their hybrid workforces for the foreseeable future. The shape of hybrid work will be different for every individual, this, after all, is what flexible- and agile-working means; the key is to ensure that wherever your workforce are, they feel connected. 2020 was about working from home, but many workers don’t have the space available and there’s potential for conflict. Now, businesses are looking for technology which supports a ‘work from anywhere’ concept.

Simon: To advocate working from anywhere, businesses need to find a way to balance remote and in-office work, what’s the best way to achieve this?

Chris: The best way to do that is to make sure that travelling to a dedicated place of work feels worthwhile and results in a productive use of time. In-person meetings will continue to be vitally important for business and providing a space that’s conducive for creative thinking and collaboration is key. One element of this is the technology; there are likely to be remote participants who must feel as part of the meeting as if they were in the room, but it goes beyond that. The space itself must be welcoming and comfortable. I believe the future is flexible spaces which can adapt to changing needs and can easily accommodate different group sizes with social distancing and environmental conditions remaining an important consideration for comfort and wellbeing. Using sensor technology is a smart way to manage meeting room parameters such as optimising air quality and matching usage to capacity.

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