Abbey Slattery is a WRAL Digital Solutions representative
This article was written by our sponsor. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals.
Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Slack have all become household names following the sudden shift to working remotely.
A recent survey by Zippia 83% of U.S. workers want a hybrid model of work. As companies move back to in-person employment, the question is not whether this technology will be incorporated into the new model of work but how much it will become part and parcel of standard information technology operations.
BioCryst, a global company in biotech, believes that having the right software is just one aspect of creating a hybrid working environment. Frontier RTP recently opened a new space for the company, specifically designed to accommodate hybrid work.
We surveyed employees to discover that hybrid work is important to them. We surveyed our employees and decided to work with an architect to design our new space. It would encourage employees to be onsite when they need to collaborate, but also allow them to work independently if necessary, said Sue Hickman (office manager and executive assistant at BioCryst). We went back to the drawing boards and tore out our old model of individual offices. Now we have a variety conference rooms that allow people to collaborate and also individual workspace desks on an open floor plan.
Other highlights include individual libraries that allow employees to focus their work, lounge areas for social gatherings and garage doors in conference rooms to provide additional capacity when necessary.
BioCryst leadership gained insight from the architect team in order to understand the needs of their employees.
To support the company’s hybrid working model, new technologies are being used in addition to the physical spaces.
Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool that we use frequently, Rico Scott, service desk manager at BioCryst. This allows our departments to collaborate on specific projects simultaneously, making meetings more efficient regardless of where they are located. We also have virtual reality headsets installed in the labs at our Birmingham, AL campus. Scientists must create specific molecules that fit the body’s proteins like a glove. Virtual reality technology allows us visualize the 3D structure a protein and design the molecules to best fit it.
BioCryst’s IT team has collaborated with other teams to find the right software mix to ensure that employees who work remotely feel connected with their colleagues and are engaged in company culture.
Flexibility is the key to moving forward.
Scott stated that this office space serves as a pilot project to see what works, and what could be improved. We will continue to improve and upgrade our technology. However, it is important to have an ongoing dialogue with employees to get feedback and implement any changes that are needed to make us more flexible and efficient.
Frontier RTP relies heavily on employee feedback to maintain its office space. BioCryst actually conducts regular pulse checks through surveys and other touchpoints. These data are used to determine the adjustments that need to be made.
They are aiming to create the perfect hybrid office for all employees by creating it not only here in Triangle but throughout its facilities around the world.
We are proactive in asking for feedback from our employees throughout each year, thanks to polling technology. However, we also have tools that help us identify areas for improvement. One example is that office reservations can be made via a dedicated app. This allows us to see which rooms and spaces are not being used. We can then reach out directly to employees to ask: What can we do? What is missing? Hickman stated. We will continue to monitor in order to create the best working environment for our employees. This will make us stand out because it is impossible to overstate how important it is to listen to our teams.
We designed the space to be flexible in reconfiguring any workspace or zone within our office to better meet the needs and wants of employees. Every employee is an owner and not a tenant of the company from the beginning. We want them to feel valued and to contribute to the company.
This article was written by our sponsor. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals.