AVT Question: Please share your insight into trends that will play a role in hybrid workplace culture, space planning, and technologies in 2024.
Thought Leader: Brandon White, Director of New Product Development at Vanco
Managers clearly want employees back in the office, at least part-time. To succeed, they need to articulate their “why:” What is the office for, and why is it important for workers to be there? Potential goals might include fostering productivity with an environment optimized for work and free of distractions; facilitating idea sharing across teams and silos to support innovation; promoting engagement by building stronger interpersonal connections; or strengthening internal talent development through peer-to-peer learning.
By giving employees informal space and resources to gather, share screens, and bring remote peers into the conversation, the enterprise can promote ideation and break down silos." —Brandon White, Director of New Product Development at Vanco
The office needs technology and resources that support the goal. Managers can’t increase productivity by forcing workers back to a distracting or demoralizing environment, nor can they hope to foster innovation in a space that’s not designed for chance encounters and ad hoc meetings. Integrators can play a pivotal role in the return-to-office transition by helping their customers fulfill their “why.”
Many corporations are investing in spaces that are more comfortable and welcoming than a home office, so employees want to be there. For example, over the past two years, we’ve seen an increase in 70V audio systems being installed in corporate environments—not just for paging and announcements, but for program audio. These installed sound systems invite workers to play music for focus or privacy, while also coming in handy for dynamic meetings and presentations.
We’re also seeing a need for easily replicable collaboration technology packages to transform small meeting rooms or even corners of common areas into huddle spaces. By giving employees informal space and resources to gather, share screens, and bring remote peers into the conversation, the enterprise can promote ideation and break down silos. In the hybrid work era, the point of the office is to bring people together. The design of the space must reflect that.
