It’s a thought that has crossed everyone’s minds - what is the world going to look like post-pandemic? Specifically, what are office spaces going to look like post-pandemic? Is everyone just going to stay working remotely? We all have questions with very few answers. But, there is one thing we have to our advantage - our imagination. I personally can’t imagine a world where we 100% go back to where we were before in-office. The ability to work at home is so valuable to so many people.
Many businesses have realized how beneficial working from home is. For some, their teams are more productive while being able to save time on their commute and be more present at home. It is a very flexible and beneficial set up. So many prefer being able to work at home because of all the benefits.
But, there will always be that missing piece of seeing your team in person. That missing link of face-to-face communication. Zoom only gets us so far. It just depends on which businesses are ok losing that part of their culture. Some people are totally fine being at home all day, only communicating via video chat and email. Others though, need to be in person with their team. That part of their culture is too valuable to let go of. Another big part of that face-to-face communication is it helps with morale. Being cooped up, alone, all day can do a number on the human psyche. I really liked this article by F. Diane Barth that discusses in more detail why working from home can make people feel down, but also offers helpful solutions.
To me, the ideal situation post-pandemic would be working from home part-time, along with some days in-office. This gives that balance of taking advantage of the flexibility of being at home, along with the interaction of being in-office. What will offices be like then? Check out this article with depictions of possible office spaces, as drawn by architects, about what they think offices will be like post-pandemic. It’s a good way to look to the future with some excitement and see what changes might be made in-office, and for the better.
I also have attached a few more interesting resources about what others think the post-pandemic office will be like. What do you think everything will be like when we get out of this pandemic? Do you think we will stay working from home? Or is it more likely we will go back to the office? Let us know!
The post-pandemic office dilemma: Who returns and who works from home?
5 ways the post-pandemic office will look very different
Has the Pandemic Transformed the Office Forever?
Cover photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash