Even though many workers love the flexibility and freedom that remote work gives you, there are problems of isolation. Difficulties integrating new team members and maintaining company and team culture are a logical consequence. A heavy reliance on technology, as well as data security challenges on the technical side, add to the mix.

Thus, the concept of pure remote work becomes a problem for many companies. Potential savings in workplace and energy costs don't help much. Particularly in the executive suite, there are growing concerns about a loss of control, a lack of influence on employees, and the associated loss of corporate identity.

For the majority of employees, however, the desire for freedom in the home office remains strong. This is understandable, as studies have long proven a lot of benefits here as well: Increased productivity, happier employees, the aforementioned cost savings in various areas, new recruiting opportunities and reduced environmental impact are all positive effects of remote work. As a result, many employees don't want to return to the office. At Amazon, the call was even followed up by a petition from employees with several thousand signatures against the instruction to return to the office.

"So how do we reconcile the interests of all parties and the positive effects?"

In many cases, hybrid working offers the answer to the conflict. It is highly likely that hybrid working will become one of the defining work cultures within the modern office world in the future. Employees and employers will have to jointly master the balancing act between home office and office collaboration in order to exploit the full potential of both models.

Against this background, some changes in working environments are inevitable. Hybrid work requires increased flexibility and efficiency in the use of office space. Multifunctionality is a keyword here, as is an inspiring space for coming together and developing team and corporate culture. Open space structures and concerted work at stationary workstations should not be mutually exclusive. Zones with workspaces for individual and collaborative work, common meeting places, and team and meeting rooms must also function optimally together in spatial proximity. Employees are no longer present in the company on a daily basis, so the desire for secure and personal storage spaces in the office is increasing. Comfort and a sense of well-being continue to play an increasingly important role in all of this. The list of requirements could of course be continued, depending on the project ...