Flexible spaces, table reservation systems and a hybrid model - BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan that is here to stay: this is how BBVA, Danone, Repsol or Huawei are managing to return to the office after the pandemic

A couple of years ago the ears of the wolf of the coming pandemic were still not visible, but the need for digitalization and flexibility was a seed sown in many Spanish companies. At that time, the adoption of teleworking was moderate and hybrid models, still scarce.

In 2019 the usual thing in Spain was to go to the office in person every morning and millions of people had never worked remotely from their homes. Zoom had not begun its meteoric rise as a tool for video calls that have catapulted it to be today a giant valued at 80,000 million euros, the security distance was a concept that no one had heard of and the most common was to have an individual desk per person.

Everything changed in 2020: the outbreak of the coronavirus, confinement and successive health restrictions were triggers for a paradigm shift that occurred abruptly and set trends that will take root beyond COVID-19: more versatile spaces, goodbye to fixed desks, much collaborative software, more investment in cybersecurity, less business travel, more virtual meetings, less office meters, more flexibility, more technology, less paper.

BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan

If vaccination plans continue at the current pace, experts predict that Spain will reach herd immunity of 70% next September. As the pandemic calms down, companies set in motion the gears of their new, more delocalized, elastic, and, of course, digital normalities.

The source has spoken with about thirty Spanish companies from sectors as diverse as banking, the energy sector, catering or technology to know the direction of the prevailing work models after the coronavirus.

According to the Dossier of indicators of work and telework in mobility in Spain and the EU, published this June 2021 by ONTSI based on data from INE and Eurostat, in Spain the numbers of teleworkers tripled during the second quarter of 2020, coinciding with the period of severe confinement: 16.2% of the employed in the country (3,015,200) worked from home more than half of the days. In the third and fourth quarters these teleworkers fell to figures close to 10%, a percentage that grew again to 11.2% (2,146,000 people) in the first quarter of 2021.

These are important numbers for Spain, especially considering that during the period 2011-2019, the percentage of teleworkers ranged between 3.6 and 4.8%. From the second quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2021, data reflects rapid adoption of the remote mode, doubling the percentages of both regular and occasional use. We are still below the European average of 12%.

BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan: What have Spanish companies done to return to offices safely and efficiently after the pandemic? Some such as Google, Amazon or Deloitte recognize that they are previously digitized and prepared for the new times since before the appearance of COVID-19, others have had to take a 360-degree turn, renovate their offices, develop new internal communication tools or fight against the clock to implement remote work.

In what all agree is that the hybrid model has come to stay, and tell what technological tools have helped them to ride the wave of the new times, what obstacles have hindered its digitization or what is the percentage of staff who teleworks or go to the office, which is usually placed in a proportion of 50%-50%.

"The effect of Covid-19 on Spanish companies is being devastating economically, but digitalization and the implementation of new technologies is unstoppable," concludes Vodafone's Study on the State of Digitalization of Spanish Companies and Public Administrations 2020, highlighting that digitalization has reduced uncertainty in the midst of the pandemic. The document also notes that the larger companies, the greater role teleworking has had during this crisis.

Working a couple of days a week from home and 3 in the office or vice versa, or shifts for weeks, are the new note that sets the pace of the days of companies. To achieve productivity and efficiency, cloud software, table booking apps and collaborative environments have been the main levers.

BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan

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Applications such as Bookker to reserve a table and implement a hot desking policy (functionality that allows the use of the same workspace between different people, including desktops), tools from major manufacturers such as Zoom, Microsoft and Google, collaborative work apps such as Slack or Trello or VPN connections to the office network are a constant that is repeated in the vast majority of Spanish companies.

"We use the office 365 environment, mail, One Drive, and Microsoft TEAMs as a platform for collaboration and communication with the built-in apps for the daily management and teams, Sharepoint, One Note, Planner, Azure Devops, and adapted the app shifts to the management of the presence in the office", to indicate from Repsol, recognizing that have faced the new stage confident after a decade giving the option to telework, and in which investments have been made in digital innovation. In 2018, the company launched an ambitious digitization program, including migrating most of its infrastructure and applications to the cloud.

The Microsoft 365 cloud collaboration platform has established itself as one of the preferred options for team management and remote work in all sectors: the bulk of companies use it. The app does not understand sectors: it is transversal to AENA, Naturgy, Vodafone, Grupo Barceló, Grupo Verne, Telefónica or SPC.

BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan: In Danone highlight the use of tools such as Cisco WebEx for teleconferences, Bookker to book jobs and meeting rooms with augmented reality or Teams for specific projects, added to those already had the company as Workplace (intranet).

Also at Telefónica they underline the importance of Teams as a collaboration tool for communication, information sharing, team and project management.

At BBVA, they are using systems and apps to preserve the health of employees when they return to work, relying on agile methodologies, tools such as kanban and project management software.

From the bank include My Access, parra access to the different sites with single pass mobile for the reader turning (removing the system identification through fingerprint) and Tracing App, an app developed by BBVA to detect the interactions of the people within the bank via bluetooth, so that the smartphone logs with whom you have had close contact with each employee. However, to protect privacy, the information is stored only on the employee's smartphone, and is not accessible by the bank. The purpose is that in a positive case of coronavirus the app sends an alter to the next contacts.

BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan

BBVA also use room reservation app with limited capacity to safeguard the security distance, restaurant service apps to place orders in their own cafes and avoid queues, paying through the tool automatically, and hot desking system, for which they work on a global app that allows managing the demand for spaces holistically.

From Banco Santander they highlight that thousands of employees were able to telework since last year thanks to the use of collaboration tools, such as video calls, chats and shared files, mentioning again the popular Teams and also others such as Sharepoint or Onedrive.

The productivity tools of Microsoft, SAGE management and remote work of DELL and VMware, without forgetting the additional layer of security provided by Fortinet or Veaam Backup are the bet of the Verne Group.

In FullStep, a company specialized in the end-to-end digitalization of the purchasing, procurement and supply chain process, all employees have a laptop, with VPN connection to the office network and secure access to all services, which allows to replicate the face-to-face work from home. Teams is also the great ally to connect team members with each other.

Many companies have opted to develop their own internal communication tools, as in the case of Covisian Group with Covisian Smart, additional to the usual applications and that allows service managers or coordinators to work as if they were in the face-to-face environment. "With it they can carry out the training and feedback tasks necessary for the development of the learning curve of the collaborators," says César López, CEO of GSS Grupo Covisian Spain and Latam.

BBVA Danone Repsol Huawei post pandemic office return plan: "We have incorporated an app #SaludNaturgy to monitor and manage the health status of our employees in everything related to COVID-19", point out from the energética Naturgy.

Another of those that is at the forefront is Vodafone, from which stand out the use of the learning platform Vodafone University, with applications such as Vodafone Library that allows employees to book and read a huge catalog of books, or its Zapiens app, to learn day by day and at the same time feed a knowledge bot for the entire company.

They also use the Smartbuilding tool to integrate all the services of their work centers, from washing the car to lowering the air conditioning, book stand or dining table, they have the Tobi chatbot to attend to employee queries and have launched apps catering providers to pick up the food of the day with a click, avoiding queues.

Many companies opt for a mix of technologies from different suppliers adapted to their needs. This is how Edgar Imaz, co-founder of SotySolar energy company, tells. "In our case we use a technological mix that includes software from different companies such as Google Workspace, Basecamp or Salesforce and that we use to enhance communication between team members although what has really improved our way of working has been to move from a more presentialist culture to another by objectives".

Patricia Vara, financial director of the securities agency Portocolom AV highlights that in their case they use the same tools as before the pandemic, but getting more out of them. "Teams, Freshales as CRM, internal communication system, Trello as activity manager or the WhatsApp group Portocolom Champions", he notes. The investment firm also advocates a flexible and personalized system, resulting in an average of 2 days of work at home and 3 days in the office.

Because of their size, they have been able to innovate and adapt quickly. "The size of Portocolom AV is optimal for this situation, enough to respond to the needs of our customers, innovate and grow, but small enough so that we have not found any obstacles to digitization," says Vara.

Anticipation is important: companies like AENA celebrate having previously implemented tools like the paperless office before the pandemic, so teams were familiar with the new digital procedures.

Vodafone also reports that two years before they implemented the concept of smartworking investing in tools and systems, so that when the confinement broke out they could have 100% of the office staff teleworking without any impact from one day to the next.

For this back to school to offices the hybrid system at 50% is the best option in Spain: there are many companies that allow telework 2 or 3 days a week and go to the office the 2 or 3 remaining.

From the technology of intelligent products SPC summarizes very well its advantages. "The hybrid model seeks to squeeze the benefits of remote work and face-to-face work, allowing employees to have time flexibility, retain greater autonomy, and a better reconciliation of work and personal life, while maintaining the bond with colleagues in person two or three days a week."

In Telefónica they have already defined their Return Plan since April based on hybrid work models, based on weekly shifts with stable groups, so that while half of the staff goes to the office and the other half has 100% telework that week, taking care of the capacity.

With its bet, the telecommunications company increases flexibility to 70%, since its employees only have to go 6 days a month to the office.

What is Vodafone's bet? The company also believes in the hybrid, so in their new collective model they have closed a format of 60% of telework + 40% of face-to-face work. All employees have at home what they have dubbed Office in a Box, a telework kit so they can feel as comfortable both at home and in the office.

They will also launch the first hybrid office model in Valencia, where they will prioritize spaces for collaboration, innovation and individual work. "We hope to be 100% in this model when the pandemic passes, these months we have been working on conducting it in phases, putting the health of all employees first," the company sources point out.

There are many companies that opt for a 100% flexible model, such as the case of Trac Tracker. "More than a year ago a model was implemented where the employee goes to the office according to their needs and preferences so the systems team has been adapting to carry out the on boarding in addition to the new incorporations and where thanks to this hybrid format it is managing to attract and retain talent", explains Fernando Summers, CEO of Rastreator.

For other companies, such as Inditex, digitalization splashes other aspects such as the consolidation of their ecommerce. From the company, stands out that since stores represent 87% of its workforce, the focus during the pandemic was focused on complying with the relevant health measures, capacity and safety distance in both shops and offices.

At Xiaomi they are betting on a return to the office staggered and divided by work groups and departments. Every day a small number of employees come to the office and book the rooms in person, organizing the meetings in advance.

Other technologies also rely on rotating shift systems to preserve the health and safety of employees. In LG they emphasize that they have since February 2020 with a system of 3 shifts with 2 weeks of margin between them to minimize the risk of incubation and contagion.

They have also distributed an LG Puricare Air Purifying Mask to each employee, installed double screen in all desks and meeting rooms and multiple LG air purifiers throughout the building to improve air quality and reduce any risk. For the moment they plan to maintain this system.

Huawei was ahead of the pandemic, as they also previously worked with a hot desking policy and their office was fully digitized before the rollover of Covid-19. "We have been able to work normally, including Smart Working, and adapt to the current requirements of the office for employees who come without problems," the company sources emphasize.

Another of his decisions was to reduce the office capacity below 40% and leave 1.5 meters between each place, measures that are complemented by temperature measurement, antigen or antibody tests for employees who come to the office and disinfection measures in all facilities.

Amazon has made public this month its plans to consolidate hybrid work: looking ahead, Jeff Bezos ' multinational will offer employees a combination of workday between the office and home: the baseline is 3 days a week in the office and 2 days remotely, although exceptions can be requested from supervisors. In addition, corporate employees will be able to work 4 weeks a year away from the office.

In Spain, Amazon confirms that it will follow this global policy of the company adapting to the health restrictions in force at all times. Other companies like LinkedIn are these weeks outlining the return to office plan.

Meanwhile, in ING Spain they have already implemented independently to the course of the pandemic a flexible model that allows you to choose between going in person or working from home. Its eWork system is accompanied by a series of measures to ensure flexibility of entry and exit and digital disconnection, such as the limited meeting schedule.

Currently ING Spain, which adds 1,300 workers, has a limitation of 10% for people who can go to the office that will increase in the future and have also implemented a system of reservation of tables, as well as lockers so that workers can leave their things.

Milanuncios also climbs the crest of the wave of the hybrid model. At present the company, has about 100 employees and is incorporated within Adevinta Spain, a company of 100% digital marketplaces of which Fotocasa, habitaclia, InfoJobs, coches.net or motos.net, adding a total workforce of 1,100 people in Spain

Their plan is similar to the new trend: the Adevinta offices in Madrid and Barcelona are open for those who prefer to work from them, a controlled assistance based on capacity, by appointment and safety distance. Employees fill out a form to reserve dates, workplace, position and parking space, and the reservation is formalized by email.

The forecast of this company is to live with the mixed model at least until the middle of September, following the health recommendations for a safe return.

Danone will also maintain its mixed model, focusing on listening and feedback from its employees. "One of the key tools, in addition to weekly and specific surveys and team meetings, have been the Global Pulse Surveys: opinion studies that we already carried out every 3 weeks at the group level and that allow us to monitor employee satisfaction, ratings and consensus," the company sources highlight.

The crisis has also accelerated the innovation of the food corporation, whose IT infrastructure has allowed teleworking without problems. In addition to betting on the virtual training of the staff, one of the main novelties of Danone has been the development of the DanMatch application, focused on knowledge sharing and recognized in the Generation Awards.

Another one that has taken a step towards flexibility is the international advertising agency Ogivly, which has 131 offices in 83 countries. There they come to the office two days a week by department, without exceeding half the occupancy, with hot desking policies and monitors converted into hubs thanks to the standardization of connections with a USB-C cable.The global creative network already had a room reservation system, but that is now programmed with maximum capacity at 50%.

Naturgy also designed last year a staggered return plan to the office, after a health survey and the application of serological tests to employees and families. From the third quarter of 2020 they consolidated a hybrid model with flexibility in the time of entry and exit, alternating assistance to the work centers or the possibility of choosing to telework in the afternoons without having to do the full day.

BBVA advocates this format halfway between the face-to-face and the remote: while in the hardest moments of confinement, 99% of the staff came to teletrabar (they were the bank with the largest number of remote workers=, since July 2020 they have implemented a voluntary hybrid model in central services.

"This transitional model is allowing us to test and carry out different analyses and pilots to assess different alternatives of hybrid work to be implemented once the situation begins to regularize," the company sources say. In his case the digitalization has been previous. "The digitization process started a few years ago, having the best app in the world and being pioneers in the implementation of remote managers has been very useful for us".

For Banco Santander its reference framework is what they call flexiworking, which offers different flexibility options that respond to the needs of employees and teams. Currently the occupation of the corporate center is around 50% and the company maintains all the measures of prevention and containment in the face of the pandemic, evaluating how the health crisis evolves.

Ana Botín herself spoke of a" greater flexibility " for schedules in the panel of the XXXVI Annual Meeting of the Cercle d'Economia, which intervened with Pablo Isla and JM Álvarez-Pallete. During the coronavirus, more than 100,000 bank employees worked remotely.

In the case of Grupo Barceló, the departments of the hotel chain that do not require physical contact have incorporated a hybrid model that is proving very efficient in the management of projects. Department heads define the format based on the needs of each. The company recognizes that there are roles and functions that require human contact, but point out that digitalization has helped them to be more efficient. guarantee the safety and also the tranquility of people.

Another trend marked by the pace of the pandemic and the rise of remote work is the redistribution of spaces, something that explains very well Maite Acinas, head of marketing of Loom, the subsidiary of flexible spaces of Merlin. "In reality the square meters that interest the company are the same, but instead of using them inside a traditional office, this is reduced and the spaces distributed in different geographical areas are multiplied to relocate the work".

The hermetism is diluted to give way to the coworkings and spaces more alive and permeable. The usual offices are being progressively replaced by new flexible work centers, where it is possible to live with other companies, establish synergies, do brainstorming, receive training, reconcile better, and establish contacts with professionals. "Companies have opened up to try new models because they have seen that they work and that employees are happier," says Acinas.

In Loom they have companies that even bet on ultra-flexible models in which companies pay by the hour or a flat rate at the end of the month depending on the spaces they use. "We design a tailor-made work experience", adds. Each company can access its custom combination of traditional flexible office space, event or meeting rooms and a long etcetera.

180 companies from all sectors trust the subsidiary, from BlaBlaCar to Pepsi. Security, comfort or Corporate Social Responsibility permeate their spaces, where they also use a software to reserve a table. "It is a good time for digitalization and innovation, we see the desire to invest, to hold events and to launch new things," Acinas points out. "Also to see each other's faces and interact after such a hard few months."

The market already takes note of the pulse of this change: the real estate consultancy CBRE points out that transactions of flexible positions have increased by 85.4% in Madrid and Barcelona in the first quarter of the year, according to El Economista.

The consultancy calculates that 6 out of 10 flexible positions are demanded by companies that previously did not resort to this formula, while a third of the demand comes from startups and technology companies that are already familiar with this more agile working methodology.

The pandemic has also changed talent management forever, highlighting the need to empower employees with more digital skills and train staff so that the new flexible model can succeed.

"If we talk in general, I think that companies mainly face two challenges of digitalization: having a flexible business model to compete in a digital world, and defining the organization, people and functions both internal and external, to take advantage of technology and new working methods, without forgetting their respective training", synthesize from Nuvix Consulting.

Repsol points out that the great challenge is related to managing the change that is once again the return to a post-pandemic situation. "A hybrid work model between physical presence and remote work demands a new adaptation." From the company also indicate that the challenge has been to balance the unequal experience between teams that already telecommuted 10 years ago and others that have had to adapt quickly, developing habits of digital presentialism or inadequacy of spaces.

In Telefónica they emphasize that they have managed to correct the initial rejection of the daily use of digital tools and point out as a great challenge the digital security around them. "It is necessary that people become aware of the great importance that it has for a large corporation to have their information systems provided," they point out from the company.

For Naturgy, training is a swing for the change and digitalization of talent. To achieve this, the Digital Academy is used, one of the branches of its Corporate University, whose purpose is to transform the professional profile of Naturgy towards a digital employee. "In 2020, during confinement, more than 4,500 of our employees were trained in digital issues such as Blockchain or Power BI," the company sources highlight. In 2021, digital culture continues to consolidate on fronts such as IT, Modeling or Technical Business Management.

Vodafone's challenges are 4: inclusion (to combine those who work face-to-face and remotely, using performance evaluation systems or a hybrid-based management program), employee experience (improved in digital onboarding), data as a fundamental source for employee management and leadership, spearhead in digital transformation and company selection processes.

Accenture's Care to do Better report highlights 5 best practices to optimize investment and grow workers ' potential in this new era: promoting continued learning through data analytics, listening to employee needs with two-way applications, using smart technology to make work more flexible, advocating for wellness and inclusion, and establishing people metrics that are useful to everyone.

The global consulting and professional services firm also emphasizes in its 2020 digital capabilities study that there are 4 different profiles of digital workers: remote collaborator, disciplined neodigital, adaptive collaborator and tireless innovator. Identifying these profiles among workers allows them to accelerate the closing of the digital divide and to become more efficient workers for the digital world that is already among us.BBVA

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