Solutions That Can Resolve Mixed Feelings of Remote Working

Date: Wed May 18 Author: Chelliah Nakeeran

The pandemic may be over, but many companies are still encountering the upheaval of remote working. Employees have mixed views which have left business owners with decisions to make and solutions to find.

A survey published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) revealed that people working from home fared better than many expected. Productivity was stable, parents were able to spend more time with their families and the woes of commuting were eradicated.

Most glaringly the WEF forum highlighted employees have mixed views – and strong views – on remote working.

66% of the respondents surveyed confirmed they prefer flexible working arrangements and said they wanted to continue working from home once the pandemic is over.
Almost a third are prepared to quit their job if the company they work for does not offer the flexibility of remote working.

Employees that favour remote working are generally mothers with school-age children, those under 35 that want work-life balance and people with higher incomes.

People that advocate for a full-time return to the office are employees that prefer to be around their workmates or feel isolated and lonely working from home. They are usually single.

What are the Pros and Cons of remote working?

Media reports about remote working are mixed. Some say employees prefer working from home, others say the majority prefer the office. HR managers have said that encouraging employees to work in the office full-time is becoming increasingly difficult.

The happy-medium seems to be hybrid working whereby employees spend two or three days in the office and two or three days at home. The alternative is that employees that like to be around other people find a company in coffee shops or coworking spaces.

A hybrid model works for both parties as well. Whilst a distributed workforce is more difficult to manage, it does allow companies to cut the costs involved in renting office space. And because employees spend less money on commuting and office day lunches, there is an opportunity to lower salaries.

Advantages

Better work-life balance

More freedom

Improved employee satisfaction

Reduction of infrastructure costs

Increase in productivity

Less commuting

Disadvantages

Lack of personal connection

Loneliness and isolation

Zoom fatigue

Challenges with collaboration

Advantages of Coworking Spaces

In order to accommodate an entirely happy workforce and foster the advantages that remote working offers, consider coworking spaces. There are several advantages.

One of the key benefits of renting coworking spaces with BluDesks is it gives you the flexibility your employees want and helps managers to organise a distributed workforce.

There are also opportunities to expand your network with other companies that share the same space – including talented freelancers that may come in useful for one-off projects; web designers, content writers, graphic designers, developers etc.

In addition, coworking spaces typically organise keynote speakers which can provide insights into various aspects of the business including innovation, emerging markets, and trends. This type of professional talks that inform and inspire.

4 Benefits of Coworking Spaces

Reduce Infrastructure Costs

Lowering operational costs can present companies with more opportunities to expand in the market. The money you save can be invested into new product designs or marketing campaigns that expand your reach and visibility.

However, it is worth noting that reduced costs may not always be the case. The majority of coworking spaces tie companies to long-term contracts. Whilst you can pay this on a convenient month-to-month basis, the contracts usually include payments for things you are not using such as desks, private offices and meeting rooms.

BluDesks offer a different solution. All our facilities are available on a pay-as-you-go basis. That means you only need to rent space when you need it, and you only pay for the time you book.

With our model, you have more control over your spending and really can save on overheads. What’s more, we host multiple coworking spaces on our website that you can book with a single membership pass and one login.

This makes booking office space more convenient and gives you more options to book private offices and meeting rooms anywhere in the city you live. We have registered thousands of coworking offices around the world, so no matter where you are, BluDesks probably has a remote working solution for you.

The coworking spaces on offer are also fully-equipped with various technologies such as wide-screen TVs, overhead projects, printers, photocopiers and charging points. So you won’t need to invest in typically office technology either.

Easier to Collaborate

Whilst cloud-based technologies claim to make it easier for co-workers to collaborate easier in remote locations, the benefits are limited. You can work on the same documents and have quick chats and virtual meetings but beyond that, collaborators miss out on all the benefits of being in the same space.

Companies that are either pivoting to a hybrid model and don’t have enough space to accommodate a dedicated, full-time team, or if you’re doing away with the office and deploying a distributed workforce altogether, coworking spaces bring teammates together.

Face-to-face interactions are typically more productive and innovative than sporadic chats on instant messengers and the odd virtual brainstorm. It’s the conversations and examples that employees have when they’re together which produce the best ideas.

Integrate New Starters

New starters can feel isolated and confused if they are asked to work remotely when starting with a new company. It’s important for businesses and their employees to have a mutual understanding of culture, work preferences and strengths.

People also have an innate need to feel as though they belong. The workplace, therefore, becomes especially important considering the amount of time we spend at work.

Helps to improve potential mental illness

The major complaint with remote working was feeling lonely and isolated. The lack of engagement with other people is not good for mental health or emotional wellbeing.

Without the mental breaks, employees are more likely to suffer from burnout, work less efficiently and take sick leave. Being in solitude for long periods can even make people anxious.

Coworking spaces help to resolve the potential for mental health problems. Studies show that the social aspect of the workplace fosters good mental wellbeing, and the majority of employees that have been surveyed said it was the social interaction with their work colleagues that they missed the most during a lockdown.

Is Remote Working Effective?

It’s perhaps too early to answer the question as to whether remote working is effective or not. Only time will tell. However, the initial signs are that remote working does have benefits for both employers and employees – if you take advantage of solutions like coworking spaces.

BluDesks offers even more advantages to employers and employees, so no matter how you feel about remote working, we are confident we can find solutions that meet the needs of everyone.

Staff Training Solutions For Businesses Of All Sizes

Date: Tue Apr 26 Author: Chelliah Nakeeran

Staff training is critical for the success of your business operations. After all, a company is only as good as its employees. Yet the performance of your employees largely rests on the quality of training they receive.

Whilst most companies may not have an issue with their training program, more and more businesses are finding they don’t have the right environment to deliver the program as effectively as they might.

With more companies switching to hybrid working, the space issue for HR & Training Managers has been exacerbated. Office closures and downsizing has meant even the largest firms don’t have the luxury of space they used to.

This poses a problem for training managers on a number of levels. In the first instance, a trainer may not have the scope to book a meeting room for an entire day. Other members of your company will still need to have meetings.

Then there is a question of space. Do you have a room on-site that is large enough to accommodate the number of people you’re training and allow them space to move around?

Another option most training would float is online training. With employees working from home, this may feel like the most logical and cost-effective solution.

But is virtual training really that effective to coordinate, deliver and understand? There have been at least 10 disadvantages identified when it comes to e-learning.

Another issue for businesses is that training new starters remotely doesn’t make a good impression. They will feel isolated, intimated and confused. It’s far easier to train staff in person – especially if they are new to the company.

Fully-Equipped Meeting Rooms

The best solution for a large percentage of HR & Training Managers is to hire fully-equipped meeting rooms. Whether you’re looking for your own staff or you provide external training courses as a service to third parties, BluDesks‘ cost-effective pay-as-you-go facilities provide a solution every time.

The primary goal of a training program is to deliver the material via appropriate formats. That could mean you need an overhead projector, a whiteboard or a sufficient amount of room to conduct role-plays.

Whether you need a meeting room for a small group of five or a large group of 20+ delegates, BluDesks provides a one-stop solution. With a corporate membership and single sign-in, you have access to multiple meeting rooms all over the city you live.

With the capacity to search and find a meeting room that serves the demands of your training program, you will dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to scour the internet and sign up for dozens of co-working spaces that hire meeting rooms.

The meeting room we provide access to is equipped with adequate power points, projection systems, HV/audio, whiteboards and more. Whether you’re hosting a small training session, workshops, or a multi-day training course for a large number of people, BluDesks provides the staff training solutions with your business is looking for.

Feeling Lonely And Isolated Working From Home?

Date: Tue Feb 22 Author: Chelliah Nakeeran

Working from home has been called “a recipe for loneliness”. Several studies reveal that feeling lonely and isolated can have a negative impact on mental, physical and emotional health.

Mind.org notes that some studies have shown that losing the social contact you had in the workplace can harm your mental health. When people feel isolated, they feel lonely which plays into their state of mind.

People that don’t feel part of a group or that they belong, are most prone to developing mental disorders. At the very least, people don’t feel the relationship with their colleague has any meaning – and that can disrupt the rapport and harmony among colleagues.

During the lockdown, reports of waning mental health reached a peak. And researchers think the estimates are conservative. The most common disorders of loneliness are anxiety, insomnia, digestive problem and symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Loneliness could even lead to depression which will make you become even more isolated because you don’t have the motivation to go out and socialise with your friends.

One study published by Brigham Young University showed that a lack of social connection also increases health risks in smokers – because they use more cigarettes – and can also lead to alcohol abuse.

Company makes you more creative

People are more creative when they interact. Even a casual chat around the water cooler can trigger a spark of inspiration or stroke your emotional wellbeing.

Who can forget Marissa Mayer recalling remote workers back to the Yahoo office because she believed the small interactions colleagues have can lead to the biggest ideas. If you want innovation, you need interaction.

Multiple studies show that when people get together they are more creative because they inspire one another. But creatively works best when employees are given the flexibility to collaborate with colleagues and be given alone time to process.

There is little doubt that creativity in the workplace leads to positive outcomes, increased job satisfaction, less absenteeism and better talent retention.

Co-working spaces and meeting rooms

Companies that have taken the decision to work remotely should take advantage of co-working spaces to bring your team together. Because you can rent flexible co-working spaces and meeting rooms by the hour, you can manage your budget and your time more effectively.

With BluDesks, you’re not limited to one location either. We have co-working offices all over London (the world actually) and don’t tie you into long-term contracts.

We find that modern businesses prefer flexible arrangements because it allows their employees to meet up and collaborate where and when they like. Some people use our services just to hang out with their workmates to prevent feeling lonely and isolated.

With the growing focus on mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, co-working spaces provide businesses of all sizes with a cost-effective opportunity to show your employees how much you care and appreciate them.

Booking co-working spaces or meeting rooms are straightforward. And with a BluDesks pass, you have access to over 1500 co-working spaces all over the world all in one place. Why not take a look.

National Work Life Week

Date: Thu Oct 14 Author: Chelliah Nakeeran

With National Work Life Week well under way, now is a great opportunity to focus on wellbeing in the workplace and the importance of a healthy work-life balance. In support of Working Families UK – a leading charity for workplace wellbeing – we would like to raise awareness for what can be done to promote healthy working practices for you and your business.

Although the past year has presented massive challenges for employers and employees alike, one positive development has become overtly apparent. The status quo of the 5-day work week in the office is a thing of the past. Modern circumstances have shifted in favour of Hybrid Home-Office Working.

There are numerous benefits to Hybrid Home-Office Working. Employees are able to spend more time with loved ones, they can reduce lengthy commutes (lowering carbon emissions) – each contributing to positive mental health work practices.

The wellbeing of employees and the wellbeing of a business as a whole are inherently connected. Employee satisfaction, productivity, efficiency, and office space and management cost-savings can be dramatically improved.

And whilst hybrid working and downsized offices bring their own challenges, new flexible workspace offerings provide businesses with solutions to providing working environments where and when they’re required. Meeting rooms and co-working spaces that can be booked throughout the UK on a pay-as-you-go basis for short durations (from one hour+) facilitating important video meetings near employees’ homes, or as supplemental spaces near re-sized offices, can assist in the challenge.

Find out more about improving workplace wellbeing by visiting WorkingFamilies.org.uk and visit Remote Working Corporate Membership | Pay-As-You-Go| BluDesks to learn about real workspace flexibility.