Hybrid work is the future

Written by: Vaughn Alviar

“Hybrid work” has become a buzz phrase over the pandemic. With the end in sight for COVID-19, board rooms are seriously mulling over the option, discussing how to reconfigure offices for a future where reporting to work is not always synonymous to being onsite.

JP Morgan Chase chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon saw the shift coming. In an April 2021 letter to stakeholders, he wrote: “The pandemic accelerated remote working capabilities, which will likely carry forward.” He forecasted that hybrid and work-from-home models would endure, and that office spaces would consequently shrink.

That future is at hand.

“The future of work is changing, and the way companies operate is constantly evolving in response to this,” noted Michael McCullough, chief visionary and cofounder of KMC Solutions, the largest coworking and talent insourcing provider in the Philippines. “As more and more workers start to prefer a hybrid work setup, we see a shift in the commercial office space market to support these new demands.”

Upon the country now is an emergent preference that should not be belittled by companies if they don’t want to experience the so-called “The Great Resignation.” Ernst & Young’s 2021 Work Reimagined Employee Survey discovered that flexibility is sought-after nowadays, with 9 out of 10 employees likely to quit if they can’t work when and where they want. In the Philippines, the 2021 PhilCare Wellness Index revealed that 48.7 percent of Filipinos now prefer to work in a hybrid setup versus 35 and 16 percent willing to work entirely from their office and home, respectively.

The concept of a hybrid workplace is anchored on a COVID-19 learning: that not working from the office every weekday, all day is possible. Some workers, whose offices managed to adjust for COVID-19 mandates, went to work a few days a week. Others holed themselves up at home. Digital nomads earned a living whilst, quite literally, sitting under a coconut tree. Whichever course they took, they still fulfilled their tasks and strived to meet targets.

They found that each setup has its unique challenges, however. The office could get lonely without the usual socializations. At home, your Internet, even your housemates, could act up. The cost of staying in a tourist destination, albeit scenic and envied by many, could burn a hole in your pocket. Sticking to one setup could get boring, as well.

These limitations could be addressed by giving employees a choice in where to work – ensuring that however they want to report, their employer would be ready and willing to support them. After all, this arrangement could raise morale and foster empowerment, leading to productivity. The hybrid model makes such options possible.

That transition comes with certain adjustments, said Gian Reyes, vice president for marketing and strategic partnerships at KMC. “Obviously, this being a new system, it doesn’t come without challenges.” The hybrid work model has shifted the way we think about productivity resulting in adjustments to key performance indicators – moving away from counting how many hours one works or spends at the office to transitioning to a more results-driven approach. This has also led to further innovation to both synchronous and asynchronous work — setting aside on-site days for collaboration-heavy projects and normalizing the freedom to choose other work locations to offer better flexibility.

However, KMC can help companies of all sizes that plan to journey toward the hybrid future as quickly and safely as possible. The company can provide business solutions that fit the profile and needs of clients. On top of know-how, it also uses impressive tools and technologies for analysis, data processing, logistical preparation and going live, among others.

“Worldwide, workforces are slowly transitioning to hybrid work and are turning to flexible workspaces to do this,” McCullough said. “As a flexible workspace company with a large office footprint around key CBDs and top provincial cities, KMC is the most equipped and experienced to help companies enable a hybrid work arrangement for their own teams.”

KMC is present in 22 buildings across 11 economic hubs. From Clark to Cebu, it manages a total of 13,142 seats. Its clientele easily proves the company’s leadership. It serves consequential companies like Zoom, Okta and Maersk, all of whom have been better equipped to face the future of work.

“Even with us at KMC, where we’ve designed so many workspaces…, we’re gearing towards now is more collaborative spaces. Our newest space, One Ayala, will have one of our biggest co-working spaces and biggest boardrooms ever,” said Reyes. “This reflects the need to rethink the workspace.”

Addressing the clamor for flexibility at work, the company developed the KMC Hybrid Model. This has four components: HQ, Hub, Home and Hotels.

With HQ, KMC offers fully managed serviced offices with flexible leasing terms. The company has gained a reputation for creating offices uniquely designed for incubation, growth, and efficient operation. In the hybrid context, KMC can assist companies as they plan to decrease their floor space, accommodating only repositories of important documents and workspaces for core staff members. Even before Gensler and other experts thought offices of the future should be “experience supercharger” – destinations for collaboration, innovation and coaching – KMC was already building such sites.

The second component is the Hub. It is a solution for companies looking at satellite offices and coworking spaces that can house their employees. These can benefit people who work more optimally outside their home but would prefer to work nearby, or those yearning for a brief change of scenery like working moms and freelancers. KMC’s coworking facilities are known for being open, casual, and flexible, aside from offering 24/7 access, free coffee, reliable internet and so much more. A KMC Passport can even give you access to KMC’s 20-plus coworking spaces.

Both HQ and Hub enforce COVID-19 safety protocols and other thoughtful measures: touchless access; social distancing policies in common areas, pathways, and workstations; clinical nurses and hotline available 24/7; mandatory online health declarations; and medical-grade cleaning procedures plus UV light sanitation. KMC wants clients to have peace of mind on its sites.

Home, the third component, addresses the struggles of those working from home. Nightmarish conditions like inadequate workspaces, poor internet connection and lack of interaction with coworkers have dogged those who opted for it. Through KMC Home, those problems could end. Workers get a suite of hardware and software for a professional home office. The package includes a desk, ergonomic chair, laptop, noise-canceling machine, reliable internet, timekeeping and productivity tools, device recovery programs and a Zoom License. This will surely reinvigorate a huge chunk of the workforce that has become averse to working from home.

The last component, Hotels, would be welcomed by employees planning to transform into digital nomads or to return to a jet-setting lifestyle in the new normal. The “workcation” will now become more accessible through the FLEX by KMC, one of the company’s newest products. KMC has partnered with select resort establishments in some of the country’s best vacation spots, like Boracay and Bohol, to ensure anyone who wants to do their office tasks from paradise can do so. Those who opt-in will enjoy a workcation with big discounts and guaranteed access to the tools they need to work comfortably.

With the KMC Hybrid Model, “you are able to cater to how your employees like to work,”

Reyes said, speaking to companies’ decision-makers. “So whether they like to work from the main office, work near home, work from home or work at a beach somewhere, they’ll be able to do that within KMC’s workplace ecosystem.”

No one wants to stumble their way into the hybrid future, and companies can contact KMC to help them get there smoothly.

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