With the unfortunate events of this pandemic, we are all now experts in virtual communication. And we, the Horizons Offices Ghana team have chosen this format to talk about new habits that COVID-19 has created in the workspace.
History tells us that humans created the first office space around 1700. In this office, employees worked eight hours a day, five days a week, in the same place. Sound familiar? Up until February of 2020, this continued to be the predominant model in almost all fields worldwide. But COVID-19 changed all this and forced us to examine how well this model works in today’s world, especially if we consider the changes and advances in technology over the past few centuries.
New habits, Same tools
Horizons Offices was already betting high on innovation in the workplace. So when Covid 19 arrived, they were solidly positioned with the support needed to continue working during the COVID-19 crisis. As the pandemic persisted for days and weeks, it was very clear that our workspaces were ready for this flexibility.
As it was for other companies, we were not immune to the changes that swept the entire world. For Horizons, the first thing we focused on was members’ safety: stepping up hygiene and preventive protocols and implementing new sanitation measures. But once we were ready to bring members back, the company was pleasantly surprised to discover that the market was growing. After the virality of working from home had partially subsided, the narrative shifted as people started looking for a hybrid model, which is exactly what Horizons offers. Horizons provided companies with solutions for their employees: a flexible workspace that meets safety and hygiene standards, equipped with the technology they need for a successful workday. The moment people step into our workspace, they are fascinated.
Hybrid is just at the Corner
We can all agree that the capacities established during the pandemic are here to stay, because they have improved quality of life and optimized our time. We can equally agree that the way people work has changed forever. Even beyond what companies like Horizons can offer, we think that the decisive factor for the future of work will be leadership decisions about how they want their employees to work.
To us we have no doubt whatsoever that the future of our companies, and our industry as a whole will be a hybrid model. This means developing new ways of providing working spaces that allow employees to switch between in-office work and remote work, without overlooking the need for human interaction. While tools like Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams show that we can be constantly connected, the workspace offers something that no virtual experience can replace.
Likewise, when we look at what the workspace might look like in 10 years, we believe that work itself could be done from anywhere across the world. The only thing that cannot be done virtually is developing human connections, community, interaction, and interpersonal relationships. These are unquestionably important because they open the door to creativity, brainstorming, and innovation, and drive employee productivity. But it does not necessarily mean that people working for the same company have to be together in the same building. Interaction with people from other organizations, which is one of our undeniable benefits, can help us drive our own business, something beneficial for our clients as well.
We have not lost a Thing, We just need to embrace Change.
Working from home is not sustainable in the long term, but spending several hours a day commuting to an office is not either. A company like zoom may seem to encourage virtual option, while Horizons supports in-person collaboration. But there is actually a synergy between us. We believe both approaches will be essential to the future of work, beyond the pandemic.
We have seen many companies grown by connecting with their customers virtually. This will be part of the new normal. Investments will need to be made in cutting-edge technology to continue supporting this hybrid model.
It is not hard to imagine what the future of workspace will look like. And we at Horizons are excited to be ready. The future of work has already arrived at our workspaces and we can begin to enjoy it now. We can benefit from all the positive things that have come out of the pandemic. We do not have to wait. They are here now, and we can take advantage of them. But changes still need to be made. We have to change labor laws quickly to embrace flexibility and have the tools necessary for changing the history of work forever.