Category: BRH blog

BRH blog
BRH blog

Satellite Offices 

The Next Significant Flex for India’s Tech Sector

 In the wake of the pandemic, we have been challenged to work differently. The conventional way to connect, grow, and ideate was at work, in the office. Work from home has become an acceptable model for some in the technology sector, while shared spaces have proven fruitful. Suffice to say, office spaces have been through a welcome change.   The approach to the term ‘office’ has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the evolution of satellite offices. With technology giants investing in satellite offices in smaller cities, here are a few key influences that these offices will bring to India’s tech sector.  

Sense of Oneness

  Work settings are the means of giving employees a sense of belonging. A physical presence helps employees connect to the organisation’s cause and feel the uniformity with a sense of oneness. Especially, in tech companies where teams are seated together, share cabins, work together in meeting halls, and train together in conference rooms. A desk, office, or cabin provides an insight into territory for employees that can’t be achieved when working from home.   The pandemic may have helped everyone manage work and life from home but the sense of togetherness for a team cannot be brought virtually. Companies strategically invested in satellite offices to create a sense of belonging closer to home, thereby giving employees a physical space to root themselves.  

Culture-building

  Everyday occurrences like work badges, traveling together to work, breakout rooms, and games have been key influences in the tech industry to build company culture. In a physical setting, a sense of identity is easily established. While remote working can bring productivity and completion, the purpose of work culture becomes a low achieved target. Meeting and greeting team members is a great way to build relationships and develop a strong sense of team spirit. With the ongoing changes in the workspace industry, satellite offices allow companies to instill this culture that Work From Home cannot.  

Real Estate

  Tech giants that have employees spread across cities now have the option of setting up smaller offices in each town. However, multiple investments are required as opposed to a single significant investment. From a financial point of view, ample physical space offers perks and benefits. In scenarios where their customer or employee base is concentrated in one geographical location, a satellite office with similar perks works out to be more cost-effective.  

Networking at Satellite Offices

  The networking within a big IT office with many departments may not be as easy as the networking within smaller satellite offices. In a smaller pool of talent, opportunities and talent exchange across departments helps creativity and growth. Easy access to fellow employees is possible in a satellite office compared to a bigger space.  

Collaboration Across Geography

  Employees are bound by the apparent physical address when working out of one big office.Talent from smaller cities has migrated because of IT jobs to bigger cities. With satellite offices across the country, tech employees can work from any location. Collaboration among employees across cities is facilitated by its geographical pooling of talent. Additionally, it enhances the scope of work while traveling and traveling to work.  

Accessibility

  Tier 1 cities have been the obvious choice of most tech companies. The investment in real estate and office space over the past two decades has been immense. With the changes that the pandemic brought, satellite offices within smaller cities helped employees access work easier. For employees, the ease of reaching an office that is within one’s city trumps traveling to a bigger city. Small towns with satellite offices give employees the hassle-free option of no travel. One would be more inclined to work if it was easier to reach the office.  

Working From Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities

  The increase in investment of satellite offices by technology companies in Tier 2 and 3 cities, unlocks possibilities of working closer to home from smaller cities. With the satellite office model, talent from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities has the opportunity to stay at home and work instead of traveling to bigger cities. This strategic model helps create a knowledge and training base and boost economies for these locations. This model reduces the hassle of travel, thus making satellite offices a greener alternative.   The changes IT employees will face with the advent of satellite offices will encourage a harmonious work-life balance. Employees are happier when working from closer to home. Here are some reasons why:  
  • More time for friends and family
  • Motivated mental health
  • Economical choice
  • Green footprint
  • Builds a sense of community
 

Indian Tech Companies that Switched to the Satellite Office Model

  According to an article by The New Indian Express, Zoho had spearheaded this business model to promote reverse migration and set up its first rural office in Tenkasi way back in 2011. They started off as a six-member team in 2011 and stand 500 members strong today. Zoho’s growth has led to the development of the district immensely. The company has also enhanced the livelihood for field workers running an agricultural farm in Tenkasi. Additionally, they run the Zoho Schools of Learning, where students who have completed Class 12 or a diploma get trained and employed.   Similarly, the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) extended their footprint in North India by setting up satellite offices in 85 cities. The result was an increase of 156% in policies issued.   The pandemic has opened avenues and handed the industry over to the workforce. What was once a work-centric industry is now an employee-centric industry. The focus has shifted to employee well-being than work completion and deadlines. This welcome change has been a rewarding option for landlords and space aggregators. These satellite offices will shape the future of work and define what the future normal will be. The flexibility these offices give to the employees will result in a changed mindset about the office culture. ‘Nine to five desk job’ cultures will be long gone.   Companies like Mikro Grafeio have offered workspace and workforce solutions to cater to the IT industry’s demands. Our service model prepares the space for setting up satellite offices and equips the workforce as a value-added service. organisations setting up offices in smaller cities have found these services. In addition, the geographical pooling of talent facilitates collaboration across cities’ smooth transition.   Looking to set up your own office? Visit Mikro Grafeio to learn more about their workspace solutions.
BRH blog
BRH blog

A Look at 2022 Workplace Trends

Bringing the Focus Back to the Employee


The two years that went by have redefined the meaning of employee well-being. It no longer stands for employee perks or benefits. Instead, it is now all about extending employee support for their personal and work lives, including emotional, physical, and career wellness. As a result, the workspace industry has seen a massive change directly transforming business models’ organisational objectives.   Compelling reasons have led to the employee-centric focus. Functional business models have already begun changing how they approach employees and work in 2022. In addition, employees have adopted during the pandemic years leading to the global change in the workplace trends. Here are some key factors that have turned the focus on the employee with the growing workplace trends.

 

Employee Well-Being

  Every employee’s work performance depends on their financial, emotional, social, and career wellness. The resilience shown during the pandemic is a collective effort of the employees and management. Hybrid work or WFAnywhere is about owning results regardless of where work happens or when and this is where the work culture is headed. organisations have changed policies to help virtual collaboration, training, creativity, and more. The growing adoption of hybrid work models has defined equity in employee management, the flexibility of team goals, and achieving work targets.  

Redefining Leadership

  organisations have moved to the people-centric workplace strategy from the company-centric design. With workplace trends going through significant changes over these quarters, leadership has focused more on employees. In today’s world of human resources, getting the team together, owning a sense of oneness, and getting things done remotely are the most critical tasks.  

Humanising The Employee

  Leadership roles have been redefined to ensure a synchronized staff team from different locations. Working towards a common objective with compassion is of the highest priority. Employees from diverse backgrounds like location, family, domestic responsibilities, health expectations, connectivity, etc., define customized employee treatment in the hybrid work style. To feel a part of the team, each employee must be addressed with a tailored approach and recognized and acknowledged for their individual strengths. Making the diverse mix of employees work needs inclusivity. Every employee’s strength is of high importance.  

Rearranging Company Expectations

  Realigning employee expectations based on their social and economic situations is key to connecting the workforce to workplace trends. For example, flexible deadlines, communicative channels, employee reviews, etc., have gone through a drastic change, thus motivating the employee to work better.  

Bringing Out The Best and More

  Bringing out the best and more from every employee depends entirely on the employee’s mindset at this juncture. Many have weaned quickly to the hybrid structure, while others waited for the magical date of ‘going back to normal.’ Over time, the mindset to adapt has changed productivity. A content employee’s productivity is higher. The hybrid workplace trend has allowed employees to diversify and increase personal income streams, maintain a better work-life balance, and stay relevant in their industry.  

The Fuel To The Fire is Humane

  Employees have found a personal sense of value in their jobs. People have been inspired to elevate their personal values and purposes through the pandemic. The era of employment contracts and perks is slowly coming to an end. Employees are looking for a value-add on a humane level. Financial compensation is essential for surviving, but deeper relationships, a sense of community, and purpose-driven work are necessary for thriving. Employees require this kind of value in return from their employers. The era of money-driven consumption has been transformed into one driven by emotions.  

The Switch to Automation

  In the 2021 Global Career Impact Survey by Recruiting Daily, AI and Automation are both identified as top upskilling needs within teams and organisations- with good reason. Artificial intelligence and automation have transformed the workplace in countless ways. Globally, about 40% of the workforce will need reskilling of up to six months by 2024, according to a World Economic Forum report.  

Adding New Skills

  The future of work will continue to evolve through automation and digitalization through 2022, and we can only wonder what changes these trends will bring in the years to come. Although the pandemic has caused a rapid change in the workforce, employers must keep up with skills development more than ever.   How does one add to their resume? How does one stay relevant in the industry? How does one stay afloat? Employee growth depends solely on themselves. Soft skills like leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, etc., are the need of the hour, and being proactive to these developments helps one sustain. Adding new hard skills helps with building one’s resume. What was named ‘The Great Resignation’ has to be viewed as a ‘Sea of Opportunities’.  

Human-Centric Focus

  With the future of work defined as ever-changing, the motto is ‘either adapt now’ or ‘stay out of business’. According to Gartner’s ebook, Redesigning Work for a Hybrid Future -39% of knowledge workers could resign if organisations insisted on a ‘hard return’ to entirely on-site work. The Human-Centric work design works with empathy and flexibility, thus increasing productivity.   The Gartner survey discusses the hybrid work model with increased diversity, equity, and inclusion. As workplace trends change, the focus on shared workspaces and coworking grows tremendously. In addition, organisations are looking at setting up satellite offices to help employees from one geography work in a cluster.   Evolving workspace trends open up avenues for many who were constrained by the barriers of geography, freedom, and connectivity. However, the workforce market will remain a competitive space for the future. Coworking spaces, satellite offices, workspace solutions, and workforce integration have rapidly evolved due to the changes.   Mikro Grafeio creates work communities and ecosystems to enable work from anywhere. Their workforce solutions include hiring, training, and deploying talent, managing technology infrastructure, employee well-being and engagement, and offering business support services. Their ambition is to eliminate the digital divide and provide universal access to entrepreneurial and professional opportunities for local economies. Looking to set up your own office? Visit Mikro Grafeio for more details about their workspace solutions.
BRH blog
BRH blog

Change is the Only Constant

With BeRightHere.com, change is the only constant when it comes to new-age workspaces. 

The traditional five-day working week (introduced by Henry Ford in the USA in 1926 and John Boot- of Boots the Chemist fame- in the UK in 1933) now seems hopelessly archaic. The culture of work has changed and it continues to do so. People’s work is rapidly evolving, driven by technology and fresh attitudes towards everything from wellbeing and the work-life balance to personal ethics and environmental concerns. Today’s work is more mobile device-driven, fully connected, digital, and remote. Employees don’t need to be physically present at the company headquarters to report their work. Employers are happy to get work done from across the country with the same or even better productivity. Most of us can work from anywhere we can have Wi-Fi so that traditional “office” now seems redundant. Now is the time for co-working spaces. 

With co-working solution providers like BeRightHere.com, there are Satellite offices, working from hotels, working from collaborative spaces: cafes, exclusive centers for women, coworking spaces, campus business centers, managed space, BeRightHere.com is everything that you’re looking for: whether you’re an employer or an employee. Even the clients are in tune to deliver the “new normal” working environment. The future of workspaces needs to boost the productivity, efficiency, and collaboration of their people while helping them to recruit, entertain and retain the best talent. 

On the business side, outsourcing to BeRightHere.com, not only reduces costs dramatically but also boosts the efficiency and productivity of the employees multi-fold. It gives them a place to belong, safely, wonderfully, celebrating them in all their glory.


The number of freelancers available to work on demand from remote locations is doubling in size every year. Another change is the fall of hierarchies and up/down the ladder in the corporates, where it’s more of a grid-like or a flat structure, where ideas flow in all directions. There is also a change in the balance of gender, sexuality, races, and creeds, for the better. There are also new jobs being invented. And we haven’t been able to become fully functional on the impact of technologies such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, and robotics. 

The trends are clear. New and more efficient workspaces are needed where individuals have their shared office environment. Given this knowledge, BeRightHere.com is here to offer both the corporates and individuals, wherever they are, a more flexible option to work.  To know more on the right solution for you, connect with us on www.berighthere.com or drop us a message at +91 8050369875 or an email at support@berighthere.com

BRH blog
BRH blog

Hybrid Model over Traditional Offices

Hybrid Model over Traditional Offices- The New Normal of Work

Since the pandemic, we have seen a fundamental shift in how and where people are working from. Across the corporate world, employee behaviors are starting to shift as they realize the benefits of remote work. A vast majority of employees prefer a hybrid model – meaning they want the option to work remote and in the office both, whether it’s one or four days during a week. But why exactly are employees requesting a hybrid workplace model over a fully remote or in-person approach? Let’s dive deep and find out!

The future of work is collaborative

The preference for a hybrid work model suggests that our time at the office may have become more deliberate, targeted, and collaborative. Many surveys reveal that employees’ primary reasons for coming into the office are socializing and collaboration followed by their individual work. That means the core purpose of the office still persists, but its power as a social and collaborative place remains primary. But those that work in a hybrid model already benefit from the best of both worlds. When compared to employees who are either at the office or their home full-time, employees currently in a hybrid model are more likely to report positive impacts on creativity, colleague relationships, productivity, communicating, and problem solving.

Based on the current scenario, we can clearly see how a hybrid work model is affecting employee behavior. Even though many employees had been working from home since the first Corona-induced lockdown, the majority of workers still see in-person collaboration as being very critical to their jobs.

More and more employees are beginning to prefer a hybrid work model

Let’s look at some of the key reasons why employees are requesting a hybrid work policy.

1. Flexibility

While many employees prefer returning to office, there are certains sections that would consider quitting if their employers weren’t flexible about remote work.

So, what does this tell us? It suggests that many employees want a choice when it comes to when, where, and how they work. This is cemented by the fact that many workers would be willing to take a pay cut to work from home two or three days a week.

With a hybrid model in place, employees can enjoy the best of both worlds by having the freedom to pick the work environment they want each day. While the attendance policy of different companies may start looking slightly different, the most important part is businesses giving employees the option to start with. Embracing a hybrid work policy will not only address employees’ need for flexibility, but it’s also bound to give organizations a competitive edge when it comes to the labor market.
2. Productivity

Every employee requires a different work environment to reach their productivity peak and those needs may change day-to-day. For instance, there may be certain projects that may require employees to work close together as a unit and are more effective in person. On the other hand, there may be days when employees might prefer the convenience of working remotely. A hybrid office model will allow employees to choose the environment they want to work in on a specific day. For instance, some workers may prefer working in the office if they require:
  • The ability to collaborate with colleagues in person as a team
  • A space to conduct important meetings with customers and clients alike
  • Better resources and amenities such as workstations, faster internet, and snacks
  • Work-life separation

On other instances, an employee may occasionally prefer some of the advantages of working
from home, such as:

  • The flexibility to do personal tasks (running errands, spending time with the family, etc.)
  • Time saved from commuting
  • Taking a break from the office and working in a comfortable environment

Having the option to choose their preferred setup will allow employees to optimize their productivity and deliver their highest quality of work.

3. Connections/Networking

Ever since the pandemic, employees have been forced to work in isolation and didn’t get too many opportunities to connect with their co-workers organically; whether it be casual chatting about their favorite television shows over lunch, water-cooler conversations about matches and fights or merely sharing weekend plans while grabbing a cup of hot coffee from the office cafeteria. Thus has resulted in many people being very eager to rebuild their relationships with colleagues. In fact, many employees have stated that reconnecting with colleagues was what they enjoyed most about being back.

While workplace relationships are essential to cultivate, spending quality time with loved ones at home is also equally important. Studies have shown that having a strong social network of friends and family can have quite a few positive effects on stress, happiness, and well-being. However, it may be challenging to establish this balance if an employee has to commute to and from the office every day of the week.

A hybrid office model will allow employees to cultivate significant relationships in all aspects of their lives. When they’re craving connection with their colleagues, they can simply head into the office for a day of socializing and relationship building. Similarly, if they want to be home to spend time with their partner and children, they can choose to work remotely a few times a week.

The opportunity to rethink the physical workplace arrangement

Ultimately, one thing can be concluded – we have seen a fundamental shift in where and how work happens ever since the pandemic. The longer we work remotely, the more it affects how we work, while simultaneously shaping our future expectations for offices. This proves to be a high time for businesses to rethink the physical workplace arrangement. As we look towards a post-pandemic world, the future of work should support advanced ways of working, newer technologies, and new reasons for coming into the office. This opportunity does raise a range of questions that will be unique to every employer depending on their business and mission, their work model, and finally, their organizational culture.

Sources:
https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/office-of-the-future-is- corporate-india-ready-for-hybrid-working/86334205
What is hybrid work and why do employees want it?

https://www.iwgplc.com/MediaCentre/Article/why-employees-prefer-hybrid-working-to-pay- rise
BRH blog
BRH blog

Re imagining The Future of Work

Open floor sitting arrangements, rows of desks, teams seated together. Before the pandemic, a traditional office space was designed to be functional, more than anything. The mass transition to work from home in 2020 turned this type of thinking around. At the home office, employees found that productivity and performance didn’t go for a nosedive, and in many cases, actually increased, as employees enjoyed a level of flexibility and work-life balance they never previously experienced.

As we begin slowly returning to normalcy, many employees are understandably reluctant to give up the greater control they have had while working from home. According to surveys, the majority of employees hope for a 50/50 split between working remotely and from the office.

Home office will have an impact on the future of work

The suitability of a working space is an important issue for young workers who are more likely to live in shared apartments with less-than-ideal home working environments. In a bid to improve home offices, many companies have contributed towards employees’ home office equipment. For these young employees, the availability of a physical workspace will prove vital to their productivity and well-being, and a key component of the future office.

The future of work: Culture, Connection & Trust

Working from home full-time will naturally lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection but the feeling of being valued and trusted is just as important as an employee’s well-being when working remotely. For remote work to properly flourish and have a place in a hybrid work model, businesses should focus on how they can create effective communication routes between employees while they are working from home.

Communication will of course be a challenge at first for the hybrid work model, with some employees working from the office and some working remotely. Employees feeling overlooked or neglected can be a common concern. Businesses must address these issues to ensure that their hybrid model is a success. Poor connection or culture may lead to lower productivity, lack of motivation.

What kind of office spaces do employees prefer?

Employees across the world will have varying expectations from their respective workplace. Going forward, cultural differences will dictate how employees help shape the future of their respective office space.

As more and more offices reopen around the country, the initial focus will be on keeping employees safe and sound. Every organization will have to scour for ways to establish a better, more flexible future of work and future office space for their employees. Advanced digital technologies will play a crucial role in ensuring the environment is flexible enough to allow different spaces to be used for different purposes according to employee needs, whether that involves work, well-being, or upskilling.

Mirroring the office space at home

Routine and familiar spaces are known to enhance performance and productivity. Employees who lack a dedicated workstation at home will miss out on the stability and ritual that comes when working out of a traditional office. A workspace at home, like a space in the office, will allow employees to replicate their work routines at home resulting in a seamless flow of work. When you mix personality, style, and high-quality furnishings, a home office becomes a productive and more efficient workspace.

Many organizations who have provided remote employees proper seating and height-adjustable desks, mirroring the traditional office space at home, quickly found that their efforts benefited employees’ well-being, productivity, and focus.

When mirroring the office workspace at home, there are 3 layers employers must be vary of:

  • The first layer, Technology, will be all about maintaining team connection in a hybrid work model. Reliable internet connection is a must.
  • Secondly, the appropriate tools for communicating, tracking progress, and accessing files with messaging apps, virtual meeting software, and file sharing platforms will keep people engaged with their work and with each other.
  • The third layer will be all about how technology affects work performance.Businesses will need to continue investing in technology to keep their teams connected and their information secure, as well as enhance their ability to attract and retain top talent.

Mindsets will matter

Every job, task or project is supported at least in part by an employee. For this reason, it will be worthwhile to look at how each employee’s state of mind can affect their performance in a hybrid model.

When businesses or corporations take the time and make the effort to invest to support employees who are working remotely, they will feel more valued and cared for. Organizations that want to fully embrace hybrid work models must recognize that structured workspaces at home, in addition to the traditional office space, will help enhance productivity and focus wherever employees work out of.