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How to enhance your hybrid employee experience? Focus on analytics!

Published:

June 15, 2022

Updated:

May 31, 2023

Many employers and managers used to make decisions based on assumptions about what was good for their teams. But what is more accurate for improving your workspace and workforce experience than getting the information right from the source? To do so, workplace analytics support you in collecting data about employees’ working habits and needs. As the effects of Covid-19 and digitalization are transforming our way of working, two main changes appear: the evolution of employee expectations and the key role of technology in many industries. Yet, workforces are focusing more on experiencing a better work-life balance and a people-centric culture. Those shifts directly impact office spaces that need to be redesigned to match the New Work requirements. How can workplace technology benefit companies and enhance a better hybrid employee experience? deskbird explores how these insights can be used to level up your business!

Improving The Hybrid Employee Experience

The biggest gain companies can get from collecting data is the ability to define what can help improve their experience, especially for hybrid teams. Organizations finally have access to concrete information about their employees’ working patterns. With these insights, they can determine what their staff really needs to perform best. The ultimate goal is to reduce the expectations gap. Employees are your greatest asset and focusing on their well-being can play a key factor in your success. With the increase of remote work, new ways of working appear. Yet, the needs of hybrid teams differ from those of employees working in a traditional office.

The hybrid employee experience can be fostered through many company aspects such as office space planning, workplace technology, working models, etc. Do you know if the digital communication tools provided to your workforce are matching the needs of your team? Are your employees happy about the way they plan their hybrid schedule? Or is it an issue that could potentially affect their experience? These are only examples of insights that data can deliver. Workplace analytics give access to a lot of information that supports HR teams and managers in improving employee experience in various domains.

➡️Are you looking for a people-centric desk booking solution for your hybrid teams? Request a demo of the deskbird app!

two women working on laptop on wooden table
Team members working with remote colleagues.

Using workplace analytics to optimize the office space

Reshape your workspace according to your employees’ needs

Why would you have an office space with a majority of single workstations if your teams are mainly using meeting rooms and collaborative zones when they come on-site? But first, how do you discover this piece of information? Office workplace analytics provided by a workspace booking app translates the preferences of your workers into a clear overview screen. Having actual data about how the working area is being used supports you in making useful changes to redesign the workspace according to your employees’ needs.

Cut down your office costs

Getting information regarding office space usage enables office executives to take key decisions about space management and, in turn, save money. According to your hybrid work policy, your employees may have to come on-site two days a week or one week a month, for example. If you pinpoint that your office occupancy is low most of the time, why would you keep renting a large office space? Also, if your hybrid model is mostly based on remote work, you may also consider implementing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) system and cut down IT expenses.

➡️Do you want to optimize your hybrid workspace and save costs? Discover the deskbird hybrid office calculator and see where you can improve!

Maximizing Productivity and Performance

These data-driven insights support you in analyzing which processes work best and which methods need some improvements. Reading data instead of making assumptions about what changes to implement to enhance productivity and performance will ensure more positive outcomes. Moreover, tools, methods, and concepts that function for some companies might not be appropriate for others. For this reason, it is even more important to collect information that is relevant to your own business.

Another key point that can be highlighted by workplace analytics is the working patterns of your team members. Why is it valuable? By knowing when and where your employees work the most, you can adapt your working time and location policy accordingly. We are not only talking about hybrid work, but also flexitime. Over the last few years, many businesses globally have included more flexibility in their working model. Studies are showing a genuine link between the increase in work flexibility and productivity. Of course, the most important pillar to make this work is trust. As faith and recognition are key components of an engaged workforce, it seems that this concept is a win-win.

➡️How is Generation Z reshaping the world of work? Read our article about the impact of Gen Z in the workplace!

Person measuring analytics on Ipad and macbook
Measuring analytics on laptop and IPad

Supporting Hybrid Teams

You must know and understand what hybrid teams require to deliver a great employee experience and find the tools that will help them to be at the top of their game. Feedback forms are obviously the first step to garnering this information. However, surveys sometimes don’t let employees express their needs and feelings, especially if the topics are redundant or narrow.  Furthermore, you only get the answers to the questions you ask. It may not allow you to understand other areas of improvement as digital workplace analytics do.

Also, remote work requires some adjustments to the way we work. It can include changing the communication channels to enhance collaboration and efficiency between workers, for example. Do you spot an increase in online meeting cancellations when looking at your workplace analytics? Are your employees aware of Zoom fatigue and how to reduce it? The need to provide health recommendations, specifically related to the home office, might be something that arises from your data assessment. Juggling between remote and on-site work is a new concept for most of us. As with every new change, adjustments may be required to deliver a better experience.

Easing Decision-making Processes

Making the right decision is sometimes a serious challenge and access to factual figures specific to your business can provide great support. They obviously help measure your workforce performance but they also give you key indicators about what works and what doesn’t. This applies to any area of your company, from HR processes to office space monitoring or communication strategies. 

For instance, you may realize that switching to a 4 working-day week increases your employee productivity by 33% as Microsoft Japan did a few years ago. Seeing that your car park lots are barely used by your staff can ease the decision to get rid of them, use them differently, lease or rent them. Insights provided by these tools are as supportive to decision-making as automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) are to productivity.

laptop with analytics with magazine and cell phone on top
Analytics dashboard

The future of work is nothing but embracing digitalization, automation, and most importantly, focusing on the workforce. To establish a successful work model and optimize space management, workplace analytics is essential. Are you looking for a digital solution answering hybrid teams’ needs while proving concrete data?

Our desk booking software is based on a people-centric approach and gives you all the insights you need to create the best hybrid employee experience.

How to enhance your hybrid employee experience? Focus on analytics!

Paulyne Sombret

Paulyne is a highly respected expert in hybrid work. She's known for her writing on sustainability in the hybrid office, flexible work models, and employee experience. With a strong background in content and SEO, her work explores the exciting trends and latest news in the world of work.

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