Hot desks, cool offices: How workspaces are changing after the pandemic

More companies in Singapore are embracing a flexible and connected workplace. From creating more collaborative spaces to removing bosses' desks, The Straits Times looks at how some have transformed their offices.

Love or hate hot-desking, experts say the trend is here to stay.

Even as safe management measures in Singapore were relaxed since April 26, shifts towards giving employees flexibility to work from anywhere that accelerated during the pandemic have continued.

In offices, that means rows of desks and cubicles making way for spaces for collaboration and socialisation. One even added a hair salon.

Let's take a look at how some companies have transformed their offices.

No desks even for bosses

"Take a seat" has assumed a whole new meaning for staff at software giant SAP, with desks of all shapes and sizes now up for grabs at its Pasir Panjang office. There are no assigned desks across three floors of the office in Mapletree Business City - not even for its senior leaders but there are choices aplenty - high workbenches for those who like to stay standing, workstations designed for small groups, or cafe-style seats.

The German-headquartered multinational adopted a full hot-desking approach when it started revamping its offices in April 2021 with the aim of boosting collaboration among its 1,200 or so staff, as well as offer flexibility in how employees work.

Before the overhaul, even though SAP already had the practice of shared desks, teams would cluster at certain areas of the office. Staff were more likely to leave their personal belongings at their usual desks.

But the firm chose to do away with that, encouraging employees to break out of their silos. Having senior executives - who used to sit on the fourth floor - give up their designated desks, was part of this change, said SAP president and managing director for South-east Asia Verena Siow.

This floorplan shows the area used by senior management on the fourth floor, before the office redesign. The red box shows where they sat, with the same type of workstations and meeting rooms as other staff. The orange areas were meeting rooms, while those in green were collaborative spaces.

"We see a lot more of the teams sitting on different floors, trying out different spaces," Ms Siow said. "Also, when you sit on different floors, maybe you'll meet colleagues that you may not have interacted much with before."

Designing the new office was a collective effort, with two committees - one which comprised senior leadership, and another of other staff who volunteered to be "champions for the future of work", she said.

These days, more companies are embracing a flexible and connected workplace, choosing to ditch fixed workstations in favour of more community spaces and shared desks.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals, for instance, has removed fixed workstations to make way for more meeting rooms and community spaces. Its rejigged work spaces were opened to employees at the start of this year.

Now, there are only 40 hot-desking workstations, from about 120 previously. Lockers also have been installed to give employees the option of storing their belongings if they need.

Ms Janice Yee, head of HR at Takeda's growth and emerging markets business unit, said: "With the exception of meeting rooms, all workspaces are on a first-come, first-serve basis."

Meanwhile, law firm Dentons Rodyk shed two of its five floors at its UOB Plaza 1 office as it shifted away from individual workstations.

Instead, open spaces and work cubicles can be used by all employees, while the rooms are shared between heads of department, partners and senior partners.

For instance, two senior partners now share a room. While some rooms have two desks - one for each partner - others have just one table for partners who have worked out a "time-sharing arrangement". This means that they come in on different days and take turns using that shared desk.

The firm also practises a clean-desk policy, where staff leave their work space uncluttered before they leave.

Dentons Rodyk chief operating officer Loh Kia Meng and a senior partner he shares a room with each have their own desk. They usually come in on different days of the week, although they are able to work in the same room if they require.

Both desks are set up at a right-angle, which gives each of them ample space to work.

But if either of them need some personal space, they can easily take their laptop and move to another room that other partners are not occupying.

Essentially, they are able to work from anywhere with their clusters or departments, Mr Loh said.

Before the revamp, the rooms of partners and heads of department were packed and less tidy. There were little open and collaborative spaces, and even gathering and having meals together in the office was difficult.

When done right, the hot-desking culture can give workers more control over how they work best.

For consumer goods giant Unilever, employees also have the option of sitting at any workstation on its office campus in one-north. Unilever is home to a wide variety of brands including personal care label Lux and Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

Its revamped workplace has over 500 desk spaces, including open desks and height-adjustable desks with computer monitors, down from 800 previously.

Instead, there are meeting rooms, phone booths and casual spaces such as cafes and outdoor areas where staff can work from.

Ms Tam Trang Nguyen, global head of HR for Unilever International, said Covid-19 has shifted the focus on what employees can do, and not where or when they work.

"The pandemic has proved that people don't have to be sitting together all the time to work together," added Ms Trang, who is also head of HR for Unilever Asia.

The company took more than a year to transform its workplace.

Ms Goh Su Fang, global assistant brand manager at Unilever, said she could sit with her colleagues at a desk adapted for team discussions, use a phone booth when she needs to have focused conversations, or even park herself near its own Ben & Jerry's cafe so ice cream is within reach on a tough work day.

Ms Goh, who has been with the company for more than two years, added: "Hot-desking has allowed me to find different favourite spots on the Unilever campus that are ideal for certain types of work."

Fancy a haircut at your workplace?

Get a haircut, grab an ice cream, or work up a sweat - without leaving the office.

At Unilever's revamped workplace at one-north, several spaces are catered for employees' needs beyond work. These include a hair salon, a Ben & Jerry's cafe, a multi-purpose exercise court, and a wellness centre fitted with massage chairs and a yoga studio.

The new features in this future-ready workplace were based on suggestions from staff through focus groups and voting at monthly townhalls, said Ms Tam Trang Nguyen, global head of HR for Unilever International.

The salon, for instance, is popular with employees during work hours and has bookings daily. Staffed by a professional hair stylist, it offers them haircuts and treatments at discounted prices.

Having a salon allows them to try out and offer feedback on the latest products in Unilever's hair care range, said Ms Trang.

Unilever staff who want a sweet treat during a work day can have as much ice cream as they want - all for free - at its own Ben and Jerry's cafe. It is no wonder why some employees prefer to do their tasks or take meetings there.

Last October, the firm launched its redesigned space. But it could only properly welcome its workers back in January, when Covid-19 workplace restrictions were further eased.

The idea is for workers to feel at home, "as opposed to a top-down push to utilise the space", said Ms Trang, who is also head of HR for Unilever Asia.

Meanwhile, at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, part of the workplace is set aside for staff to read and exchange their favourite books.

There is even a cafe-like space offering breathtaking views of the Marina Bay skyline and where staff can bond in a less formal setting over free snacks, fruits and drinks. This area can also be used to host larger scale events such as hybrid town halls.

The aim is to create a space that is conducive to its employees' well-being, while giving them the flexibility to choose how work gets done, said Ms Janice Yee, head of HR at Takeda's growth and emerging markets business unit.

"It was critical that while we reinvented the workplace, we also listened to our people to create a space that is fit-for-purpose."

This includes the furniture choices and even the coffee beans used for the coffee machines.

Good coffee is also on the menu at SAP, where employees can make sure their daily caffeine fix is ready to be picked up once they reach the office thanks to their new robot barista Ella.

The pantries on each floor are also set up to be a gathering point, with cafe-style tables and chairs to create an inviting community space, said Ms Siow.

Bright orange running tracks also lie around desks on the office floors, encouraging staff to meet their daily step goals and offering the option for "walking meetings".

Open spaces, discussion rooms to get staff connected

Much of the office space at Takeda Pharmaceuticals has been set aside to facilitate discussions and build relationships between employees.

There are cosy corners for small group huddles, open spaces for casual conversations, and proper rooms for calls and presentations. Some open meeting areas are fitted with acoustic curtains if there is a need for privacy.

With the firm's hybrid work culture, its office is now used as "a venue for meaningful face-to-face collaboration, networking and social connections, rather than keeping to the traditional definitions of what an 'office' is", said Ms Janice Yee, head of HR at Takeda's growth and emerging markets business unit.

Despite this, the company recognises that there are times when its people need to focus on their work, she added. For this purpose, its office design still has some workstations and banquette seats.

Meeting rooms or booths to have short discussions can also be found anywhere you look in SAP's office. It has some 270 meeting spaces across its three floors, with a mix of closed pods, open tables and diner-style booths. This is a huge increase from the 104 meeting rooms previously.

Collaboration is front and centre of this design choice, said SAP's president and managing director for South-east Asia Verena Siow. For one, the location of booths near the desk areas make it easy for employees to jump into a pod if they need to have a more private discussion.

Meanwhile, despite a major downsizing of its office, Dentons Rodyk has kept the number of meeting rooms about the same - 13, compared with 15 previously - and has taken steps to foster collaboration by having more meeting areas.

Meeting rooms are set up with screens and equipment for video conferencing.

At Unilever, collaborative spaces, from open discussion areas to project squad rooms, are suited for different occasions.

Some have couches for casual conversations, while others have proper desks for presentations. Inside certain rooms, the furniture can be moved and reconfigured for smaller group discussions.

Unilever employees appreciate the face-to-face discussions and socialising at the redesigned workplace, according to Ms Tam Trang Nguyen, global head of HR for Unilever International.

"They also enjoy the variety of workspaces available - particularly the collaboration spaces and meeting rooms."

Going greener, hi-tech for a hybrid future

More companies are redesigning their workplaces for the future, introducing sustainable features and flexible work arrangements among other things.

Dentons Rodyk adopted a hybrid work policy last July, and made remote work arrangements a permanent feature. Employees can now work from home about one to three times a week, compared to pre Covid-19 days when they did not have that flexibility.

Its chief operating officer Loh Kia Meng said the pandemic gave the firm a test-bed to confirm that its quality of work would not be compromised by such arrangements.

"It's a work in progress because Covid-19 isn't over yet," noted Mr Loh. "I would say we had some changes and I think it's good that mindsets have changed, but it's a continual process."

At the same time, it has made the office space more inviting and cosy for its employees.

The library, for example, used to be located on a separate floor. Now, it is situated closer to employees' desks and rooms, which makes it more accessible

At Takeda Pharmaceuticals, several meeting rooms are equipped with large screens, movable furniture and the latest audio and visual technologies.

This makes it easier for employees to brainstorm ideas and connect with their colleagues who may be working from home or overseas.

"Employees are able to choose the zones they work in based on their respective needs, and... create and innovate better," said Ms Janice Yee, head of HR at Takeda's growth and emerging markets business unit.

Over at SAP, the 4,000 square metre office space is decked out with plants and green features to create a soothing environment while reducing indoor air pollutants. About 70 per cent of the office is fitted with green-label furnishings and energy-efficient lighting.

Sustainability was one of the priorities which staff had raised during revamp discussions.

Unilever too, has built its office with the same goal. It is equipped with energy-efficient LED lights and meeting rooms automatically power down when there are no activities.

The company is also big on innovation. At its in-house Unilever Food Solutions Chefmanship Centre, equipped with elaborate kitchen equipment and utensils, a small team of chefs experiment with ideas, work on new food products, and conduct taste tests.

And at the firm's Four Acres Learning Centre - its only global leadership development centre outside of the United Kingdom - future business leaders and skilled workers are also being produced.

The centre, which features several training and workshops rooms, conducts free courses for employees. There, they can learn leadership styles and pick up digital skills from their colleagues and external facilitators.

Ms Tam Trang Nguyen, global head of HR for Unilever International, said this centre is "where we continue our journey of lifelong learning and leadership development as a global talent hub".

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Ltd. Permission required for reproduction.