# A By-the-Numbers Approach to Hybrid Work in the Financial Sector Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-09-14 Category: FINANCE Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/finance Meta Title: How to Transform Office Environment for Employee Needs Meta Description: Discover how to transform your workplace to meet employee needs and enhance meeting quality, as the financial sector shifts towards hybrid working. URL: https://financedigest.com/a-by-the-numbers-approach-to-hybrid-work-in-the-financial-sectorhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/smiling-middle-aged-financial-manager-with-bushy-beard-looking-at-camera-while-sitting-sbi-324033792-1736837893546-compressed.jpg) _How to change the office environment to bridge the gap between employee needs and business goals_ ![Lieven Bertier, Segment Marketing Director at Barco](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/lieven-bertier-450x450-1736837893539-compressed.jpg) _By **Lieven Bertier,** Segment Marketing Director at_ [_Barco_](https://www.barco.com/en/) As businesses began contemplating return to office plans earlier this summer, the global financial and banking sector initially looked to be reverting to old ways of working. Barclay’s chief executive Jes Staley stated that the bank was looking to ramp up a return to the office both in London and New York in early April. Despite Staley’s rallying call to return to the workplace, organisations such as HSBC formally certified hybrid working with the ambition of reducing its [office space](https://www.financedigest.com/a-guide-to-finding-office-space-for-your-startup.html "A guide to finding office space for your startup") by 40%. Deutsche Bank soon followed suit, announcing their [hybrid working plans with the inclusion of a 3-2 model](https://www.financedigest.com/how-collaboration-technologies-are-helping-organisations-to-embrace-a-hybrid-working-model.html "How collaboration technologies are helping organisations to embrace a hybrid working model") (3 days working from home and 2 days in the office). It’s evident that the [financial sector](https://www.financedigest.com/iot-for-the-financial-sector.html "IoT for the Financial Sector") is starting to realise the risks of a ‘one size fits all’ work approach, as many employees want to retain the flexibility they have enjoyed during the pandemic. However, while the workforce may have changed, the [office is still equipped for their old way](https://www.financedigest.com/5-unique-ways-to-go-greener-in-the-office.html "5 unique ways to go greener in the office") of working. Recent changes are shaping a new paradigm, and businesses across the [financial sector](https://www.financedigest.com/financial-companies-delivering-better-value-for-customers-in-loyalty-programmes-compared-to-other-sectors.html "Financial companies delivering better value for customers in loyalty programmes compared to other sectors") need to keep up to meet employee expectation. **An office rejuvenation** Anyone who has entered an office since the start of the pandemic likely will have experienced the eerie silence of the rows of desks and cubicles still lying empty. Many will have memories evoked of battling colleagues for coveted meeting space and groups huddling around a single laptop. From the advent of [working from home](https://www.financedigest.com/working-from-home-everyone-is-different.html "Working from home, everyone is different."), many of us found that some of our work was more efficient. However, the quality of our interactions dramatically fell and as a result, many of us experienced [meetings that were below expectations](https://www.financedigest.com/institutions-need-to-consider-spreadsheet-management-to-meet-the-pras-latest-stress-testingexpectations.html "Institutions Need to Consider Spreadsheet Management to Meet the PRA’s Latest Stress Testing Expectations"). Our recent study at Barco showed a 25-point decline between 2020 and 2021 on our meeting barometer. With the added desire to improve meeting quality, it’s no surprise that recent Barco research also found that 57 percent of white-collar workers agreed that the meeting room would [become the most used space in a post-pandemic world](https://www.financedigest.com/snowboarding-british-teenager-brookes-becomes-the-youngest-world-champion.html "Snowboarding-British teenager Brookes becomes the youngest world champion"). As a result, workers no longer [view the office](https://www.financedigest.com/verasitys-proof-of-view-passes-examination-by-chinese-patent-office.html "Verasity’s Proof of View Passes Examination by Chinese Patent Office") as a place simply to work at, but rather a space for more collaboration and cooperation. The [opportunity to realign the office space may come as a system shock to an industry](https://www.financedigest.com/automotive-fuel-filter-market-opportunity-analysis-and-industry-forecast-up-to-2031.html "Automotive Fuel Filter Market: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast up to 2031") long accustomed to the more conservative and traditional “cubicle rows” layout. However, as employees now covet more spaces to meet, collaborate and [work together in the future](https://www.financedigest.com/meetings-in-the-metaverse-how-likely-is-this-the-future-of-work.html "Meetings in the metaverse – how likely is this the future of work?"), meeting space will be a functional must-have. Currently, half of employees travel to the office to host calls in a more professional setting, indicating that the desire for [efficient meetings will be the real drive to an office](https://www.financedigest.com/tips-for-moving-office-how-to-use-packing-boxes-efficiently.html "Tips for Moving Office: How to Use Packing Boxes Efficiently") return. Accommodating these new behaviours should be a priority and can be achieved by readying [meeting rooms in advance for a smooth office return](https://www.financedigest.com/despite-return-to-work-virtual-meetings-will-continue-to-disrupt-business-as-usual-in-finance.html "Despite Return to Work, Virtual Meetings Will Continue to Disrupt Business as Usual in Finance"). **Hybrid technology** It isn’t just the layout of the office that will have to transform for a hybrid environment. The shift also [creates an opportunity for businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-create-financial-goals-for-your-business-in-2021.html "How To Create Financial Goals For Your Business In 2021") to evaluate whether to replace or upgrade outdated or inefficient collaboration technologies. As in many other industries, employees in the [financial sector](https://www.financedigest.com/overcoming-information-overload-in-the-financial-sector.html "OVERCOMING INFORMATION OVERLOAD IN THE FINANCIAL SECTOR") have embraced the laptop as the main device to work, collaborate and host meetings, fuelling the surge in preference for Bring Your Own Meeting solutions (BYOM). Our research has shown that 77 percent of respondents cannot imagine working without their laptop and have enjoyed sharing their screen and content with just a simple click. With meetings now being controlled via the user’s laptop, [businesses will need to invest in solutions that continue this seamless connectivity into the office](https://www.financedigest.com/tips-for-choosing-the-right-chief-finance-officer-for-your-business.html "Tips for Choosing the Right Chief Finance Officer for Your Business") environment. Agnostic [solutions like our own ClickShare will allow workers to connect and collaborate no matter what meeting](https://www.financedigest.com/meet-tilak-joshi-the-fintech-ceo-building-modern-solutions-for-the-gig-economy.html "Meet Tilak Joshi: the fintech CEO building modern solutions for the gig economy") platform (for instance Webex by Cisco, Zoom or Microsoft Teams) they use, driving a replicable laptop-centric experience of homeworking in the office. Additionally, the [move back into offices](https://www.financedigest.com/10-tips-to-overcome-the-stress-of-moving-office.html "10 Tips to Overcome the Stress of Moving Office") is unlikely to be instant or unanimous. Despite calls from the finance and [banking sector](https://www.financedigest.com/big-ecb-hike-adds-fuel-to-the-banking-sector-fire.html "Big ECB hike adds fuel to the banking sector fire") for a swift return, many employees will continue to work from home periodically or permanently, therefore companies must ensure the meeting room is well equipped for hybrid meetings. ClickShare and similar agnostic [solutions will need to be implemented alongside updated Audio-Visual equipment to make collaboration easier and seamless for more engaging](https://www.financedigest.com/the-patient-engagement-solutions-market-to-grow-on-a-satisfactory-note.html "The Patient Engagement Solutions Market to grow on a satisfactory note") equitable meetings. **Security from anywhere** While security is a crucial aspect to any sector, the confidential and highly sensitive, data-driven nature of [financial work](https://www.financedigest.com/turning-a-blind-eye-wont-work-for-financial-firms-as-the-fca-tightens-its-grip.html "TURNING A BLIND EYE WON’T WORK FOR FINANCIAL FIRMS AS THE FCA TIGHTENS ITS GRIP") makes it critical for success. Early in the pandemic, we saw multiple examples of conferencing platforms being hijacked by pranksters or compromised by hackers, and with meetings likely to continue in a hybrid fashion, it is important that any [future tech](https://www.financedigest.com/the-future-of-financial-services-tech-evolution-not-revolution.html "The future of financial services: Tech evolution not revolution ") invested in is secure. Particularly when looking at agnostic solutions which help connect the user’s laptop to meeting room equipment, there will [need to be strong security](https://www.financedigest.com/the-financial-services-industry-needs-to-get-serious-about-cyber-security-in-the-covid-19-era.html "The financial services industry needs to get serious about cyber security in the Covid-19 era") considerations. Primarily, the [sector should always prioritise investing in solutions which incorporate security](https://www.financedigest.com/why-the-finance-sector-must-prioritise-mobile-security-over-innovation.html "Why the finance sector must prioritise mobile security over innovation") directly into the product’s design. Additionally, professionals can [team up with vendors of these solutions to ensure](https://www.financedigest.com/ensuring-remote-teams-efficiency-with-digital-collaboration.html "Ensuring remote teams’ efficiency with digital collaboration") best practice when it comes to using these agnostic solutions. Another key responsibility comes from within the company itself via the education of employees. Ensuring that workers are expertly informed on the dangers and precautions they should be taking when learning to use a new device or platform in their [working lives](https://www.financedigest.com/homebuyers-live-work-and-play-at-neo-stepney.html "Homebuyers live, work and play at NEO, Stepney") is paramount. In a [sector such as finance and banking](https://www.financedigest.com/sterling-rises-as-receding-bank-sector-worries-lift-sentiment.html "Sterling rises as receding bank sector worries lift sentiment"), particular scrutiny will need to be attributed to the security of any new tech solution brought into the workplace. Like so many others, the [financial sector](https://www.financedigest.com/the-financial-sector-must-act-to-tackle-internal-data-security.html "THE FINANCIAL SECTOR MUST ACT TO TACKLE INTERNAL DATA SECURITY") is still learning how to shape a future of work that accommodates its employees’ various needs and preferences. As the industry begins to embrace hybrid work, it creates plenty of opportunity to [eliminate the inefficiencies](https://www.financedigest.com/baswares-e-invoicing-to-eliminate-inefficiencies-in-health-department.html "Basware’s e-invoicing to eliminate inefficiencies in Health Department") of the pre-pandemic world and reimagine everything from work technology to office space. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---