The concept of the hybrid work model, which gained widespread traction worldwide and became commonplace during the Covid-19 pandemic, is now taking root more firmly in Brazilian companies. This comes after a period during which these practices seemed temporary. According to the 24th edition of the Robert Half Confidence Index (ICRH), 59% of surveyed Brazilian companies are operating under a hybrid system, while 76% of workers consider this model ideal. How companies structure their routines in the hybrid environment reveals trends that have solidified: offices are evolving into spaces dedicated to collaborative and creative activities.

Mário Verdi, CEO of Deskbee, a workplace management platform specializing in the hybrid work model, stated: "During the later months of the pandemic and the beginning of the return to in-person work, organizations focused on keeping employees apart, avoiding gatherings, and implementing health measures." "Current data from our platform, now in a phase of full traction in offices, reveals a markedly different trend in the Brazilian corporate market. Today, companies want to see their employees back in-person, interacting more, and collaborating to boost productivity", he added.

This trend is signaled by the increase in reservations for meeting rooms compared to individual workstations. In the first half of 2023, reservations for meeting rooms grew by 70%, while reservations for individual workstations increased by 49%. These statistics, sourced from the Deskbee platform, which records office usage practices, reveal a total of 5,461,080 reservations in the past six months, with around 350,000 registered users. Another interesting data point shows a preference for in-person work on Wednesdays and Thursdays, which account for 65% of the reservations.

To make their offices more appealing and adaptable to the hybrid model, companies are adopting innovative strategies centered on the employee experience. In addition to creating meeting spaces, the emergence of "workrooms" stands out as a new trend. These spaces are designed to accommodate specific teams seeking to collaborate more intensively and spontaneously.

"Distinct from the concept of a meeting room, workrooms are designed to offer accommodation for specific teams or squads that wish to work together in a private space throughout a full workday", explained the CEO of Deskbee. He further elaborated, "This model fosters collaboration and encourages occasional, spontaneous exchanges of ideas and insights, even when each employee is working on an individual project or task."

Furthermore, initiatives like gamification programs have been embraced by companies to bring employees closer and encourage physical presence in the office. "Last semester, in partnership with Cielo, we developed a point-based program that rewards those who attend the office in-person. This gamification strategy has been adopted by numerous organizations. All of this aligns with the vision that companies want to be ready to receive their employees and want them to feel motivated to be physically present at the company's premises a few times per week or month."

The solidification of the hybrid work model also has an impact on talent attraction, as many professionals consider this model a determining factor when choosing an employer. Data from the Robert Half Confidence Index indicates that 38% of employed professionals in Brazil would seek a new job if the company adopted an exclusively in-person model.

"We observe that smaller companies are utilizing our software to manage office space sharing, preventing overcrowding and space shortages since they have chosen offices with fewer available seats than the total number of organization employees", Verdi emphasized. "Larger companies, on the other hand, have seen a significant increase in reservations for meeting rooms, reflective of the office being used for interaction and collaboration purposes. The data we've gathered from the platform shows that companies, regardless of size, are increasingly optimizing their real estate infrastructure for the hybrid reality, indicating that this model is becoming increasingly consolidated in Brazil."

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