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Hybrid working has been around for a while, but with the UK continuing to emerge from national lockdown, more and more businesses are making the switch to a more flexible style of working.

Finding the right hybrid working model for your business is going to be crucial going forward to deliver both value to employers and employees, however this doesn't come without its own set of challenges. Ensuring you have the right kind of products will be vital to assist you with your change from a home-based working style to one which incorporates office working too.

1. Replicate your office working set up at home

One of the most important tops is to replicate your office working set up at home, as much as possible. This can help to ensure you remain focused, productive and happy.

You can also make your office space more homely by bringing something personal like photos or a small desk plant to the office. These items can make your workspace feel more like yours and allow you to feel more relaxed, which will in turn increase productivity. 

You may not be able to get exactly the same furniture or technology for your home workspace as your office, however you can set your computers, stands, chairs and rests in the same position. This will mean that you won't need to keep changing your settings each time you log on or have to adjust your furniture and ergonomics later down the line. Banner can help you to find the best furniture and technology solutions wherever you're working.

2. Make your workspace comfortable, simple and stress free

Many businesses are making changes to create more relaxed and stress-free environments, not only to support mental health, but to allow employees to feel more comfortable and creative, with a better and often smarter way of working.

Huddle rooms are a type of meeting room which you can make both comfortable and functional. Any kind of furniture can be used in a huddle room, from sofas and bean bag chairs, desks to coffee tables, whatever works best for your space. Most huddle rooms are also adaptable for video conferencing and presenting, to give someone the freedom to present in privacy and to have a convenient and comfortable place for others to watch.

Your office set up doesn't have to be drab and dreary, you can add colourful furniture, accessories, and ergonomic products to help make your space to feel lively, bright and open. Ergonomics are an essential part in hybrid working, as they can help your physical wellbeing. These can include wrist supports for keyboards and mouse mats, backrests for chairs and risers for both laptops and monitors.

Here at Banner we offer DSE assessments to help you remain comfortable, wherever you are working - click here to find out more.

3. Ensure you have the right Technology for your space

Laptops are a must have for hybrid working, as these can often allow you to travel from place to place with ease. This may seem like a no brainer to ensuring you can work from both offices and home, but there are some who can't currently do this due to restrictions, or limited access to laptops. However, there is a solution that enables those people to work flexibly, and that solutions is a portable hard drive. Now-a-days, you don't need big, chunky hard drives to securely protect your data, there are travel sized, water resistant, encrypted, portable hard drives, which can securely store your data and allow you to work from anywhere. This is a great alternative to transporting laptops, especially when your job isn't your typical style of office working or can involve a lot more travelling.

Another great solution to flexible working technology is tablets. Many of us have heard of, or used, a tablet device at some point, and these lightweight, portable, compact devices are a great alternative for laptops. Most table devices are now compatible with detachable keyboards, Microsoft Office software’s such as Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint, as well as the ability to draw, design, create videos, record audio, take photographs and more. These handy devices are great for both small and larger businesses for a multitude of uses from financing to marketing.

This digital way of working may also create a greener and more positive impact on the environment as it will mean we are printing less in favour of using digital copies, and may be a key feature to a balanced work-life relationship in the future.

Click here to see our full technology range

4. Stay connected and keep communicating

No matter where you are working, it is important to stay connected with your team and other staff members within your business. Staying connected will not only ensure all your employees are on the same page, but there is evidence to show that talking to others can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

One of the easiest ways to communicate with others is through various video conferencing apps, such as Microsoft Tams, FaceTime or Zoom. These programmes remain essential to call and set up meetings with other members of your team or company, to keep you connected wherever you're working.

Using the right technology to stay connected is key, from having a laptop that has the most up to date software to using the right kind of headphones for your workspace.

With more of us returning to the office, there will be more opportunities for face to face meetings rather than virtual. Now is a great time to kit out your meeting, board and huddle rooms with comfortable seating, suitable tables, and the most appropriate screens, speakers and cameras.

Having the right furniture for your meeting areas can make or break a room, not because of the style but because of comfort and usability. Poor quality furniture can result in medical consequences, such as poor blood circulation, a decrease in concentration, fatigue as well as back, neck, shoulder pain and more¹.

5. Time Management

With hybrid working, time management is something that more of us will have to think about going forward. Part of this will involve having to plan our travel time into our day to day working lives, or allowing time to get to the meeting room from your desk.

Some of the best ways of managing your time are making achievable daily goals, prioritizing wisely, taking breaks in between tasks and planning ahead. By using these steps over a long period of time, you will be able to be more efficient and productive².

Using these 5 steps will support you to adapt and create a hybrid working strategy that works for you and your workplace.

With Banner you can make hybrid working a success

To find out more about Banners range of Hybrid Working Solutions click here, or to learn more about our Technology and Furniture solutions - click here.

We offer products across a range of price points to suit your budget. Simply call your account manager,  phone us on 0843 538 3311 or to become a customer email contact.us@BannerUK.com. 

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1. https://karo.co.za/knowledge-center/the-consequences-of-sitting-on-the-wrong-chair/

2. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/careers/soft-skills/time-management-list-tips/