SAP removes dedicated desks in Singapore office to move toward a hybrid working culture
German tech giant SAP has revamped its office in Singapore to create a hybrid working environment for the post-pandemic world.
SAP also wants its revamped office to promote in-person activities for brainstorming, collaboration and social interaction
This comes after SAP found that 88% of its employees spent less than 50% of their working day at their desks, based on a utilization study.
In addition, another study by LinkedIn found more than eight in 10 workers in Singapore who are returning to the office have said that flexible work arrangements are important to them.
At the same time, over three-quarters of business leaders say they recognize that providing greater flexibility to their employees is key to positively impacting company culture.
The SAP office will now feature an activity-based workspace with free seating to maximize team collaboration and social interaction, removing dedicated desks. Employees can choose a suitable location for their activity, whether a quiet room for confidential discussions or a lounge area for the team to get together.
SAP also wants its revamped office to promote in-person activities for brainstorming, collaboration and social interaction that employees miss about the office when working from home.
This is in line with Dell’s ‘Leading the Next Hybrid Workforce’ study, which recommends that organizations cannot simply approach hybrid work from an operational and technical standpoint and apply a one-size-fits-all model.
Instead, employers must take the time to learn more about their employees’ preferences and needs to help them succeed in a remote work environment.
“Coming into the workplace is no longer about the physical amenities, it is about the employee experience, which revolves around the 3Es – employee engagement, environment and education,” said Verena Siow, president and managing director for South East Asia at SAP.
“Engagement means offering the best career experience to our employees through our diversity and inclusion initiatives where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. [The] climate crisis requires collective action, and supporting the environment is a key area for us to rally our employees through our sustainable practices and by reducing our carbon impact.”
She added: “In addition, empowering our employees for the future of work with digital skills and competencies in growing areas of demand such as data analytics and AI in the Fourth Industrial Revolution helps them thrive as their jobs evolve.”
Another Singapore-based business, telco MyRepublic, also recently revamped how its employees will work.
The new initiatives will see the introduction of new workplace practices, which includes flexible hybrid working options and a work-from-anywhere for a month initiative, and a personal wellbeing day once a quarter to allow employees to take time off to recharge, connect and explore their passions.