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Home Office forever? Or would it be better to get back on-site?

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According to INSPYRE Informatics, how work is transformed as a result of the pandemic is a key question for both data security risks and efficiency.

" The role of office life has changed in the pandemic: the office has become less of a workplace and more of a community space, a place for team building. The new buzzword "Work from Anywhere" rules the whole scene, especially in knowledge-focused industries" says Péter Borzák, INSPYRE Informatics's CEO.

The Hungarian software development agency no longer operates in a traditional office environment either but is headquartered from an office ship.

The expert points out that the key issue today is how a company helps its employees to build and maintain personal relationships, as well as handling the data security risks associated with working remotely (home office).

According to a comprehensive international study by McKinsey and Company, 20-25% of employees in developed economies can work from home for up to 3-5 days without losing productivity.

This typically means 4-5 times more remote working than before the pandemic.

Work from anywhere!

"The role of the office has been transformed by the pandemic. The place of work is increasingly the employee's home, and the office is more of a place of collaboration and team building. A lot of companies are standing clueless in front of the paradigm shift, as new standards need to be set."

- says Péter Borzák from INSPYRE Informatics.

The IT vendor agency focuses on IT development and blockchain-based technologies and is constantly monitoring the Hungarian and international markets.

They have seen that the benefits of the home office have been quickly recognized by companies: they can employ the best possible workforce, without any geographical constraints, with increased productivity.

According to the Harvard Business Review, the previously mentioned new buzzword has emerged: Work from Anywhere (WFA).

Around the world, IT-focused companies such as Reddit, GitLab, Zapier - or INSPYRE, which operates in an office ship in Budapest rather than a traditional office environment - are leading the way.

Hybrid offices: a focus on collaboration

According to a McKinsey survey of 278 business leaders, companies would reduce the size of their offices by an average of 30 percent, which would mean fewer employees physically visiting their workplace every day.

A Bloomberg analysis shows that global companies are also moving towards hybrid offices, with employees onsite a few times a week to meet and discuss in-person, and activities that require the face-to-face presence and are harder to do in virtual space.

Huge employers such as Deutsche Bank and Apollo are planning to use this operating model, and 3,000 Dropbox employees are already doing so.

"The key question is no longer whether it is possible to work effectively from home. The current challenge is how can we help employees collaborate, and build personal and professional relationships while working remotely.

Social isolation and increasing data security risks are also a major challenge."

- says Péter Borzák.


The pandemic has accelerated automation and digitalization in many areas, he added. In some countries, online shopping has expanded at a speed of 3-5 times faster than in previous years.

Online services such as online banking, streaming, or even online medical services are also growing significantly. But these also all raise serious data security issues that all companies need to address.

Personal relationships are still needed

However, there are some things that still cannot be done effectively remotely: critical business decisions, brainstorming, face-to-face conversations such as HR-focused ones, and training new employees all requiring a more personal connection to be managed effectively. It is also much harder to ask an experienced colleague for help when only collaborating online.

The recruitment process itself is also more difficult as the interview experience is compromised in a video conference - you can't experience the atmosphere and personal characteristics of the company as you can in a face-to-face interview.In conclusion, according to Péter Borzák, the office still has an important role to play in how employees perceive the company, especially in knowledge-focused industries.

The office is becoming less of a "workplace" in terms of its function and more of a collaborative space that encourages collaboration, social interaction, new ideas, and innovation.

Employees want this too: according to a Morning Consult survey, 63% of employees would definitely like to continue working in some form of the office environment in addition to the option of working from home.