DThe family portrait on the staff table doesn’t like Christian Brauckmann at all. The colleague also left several business magazines and pens on the desk, although he was obviously not there that day. Brauckmann is a member of the board of directors DZ Bank Responsible for IT and organization, and therefore also responsible for the big issue of “post-corona” working methods.
more work from home Even after the pandemic subsides, it should be possible for everyone-but it should also have an advantage for the bank, which is that it must reserve less office space in the city. Then there is no longer a personal desk for each employee-so there are no family photos and other personal items on the desk.
Brauckmann said that in the new world of work, that is, gradually entering the top institutions of Volks-und Raiffeisenbanken, the principle of “clean desks” is very important. In other words: family photos and remaining rolls and other personal items must be removed from the desk every night so that colleagues can find a clean desk the next morning where they can “plug in” their notebooks computer.
“Different rooms are used for different work purposes”
Even after the pandemic subsides, many banks still hope that their employees will be able to work more from home. Swedish KfW Bank Many institutions have reached agreements with their employee representatives through Landesbanken BayernLB and Helaba to Metzler Bank. Here, the 28th floor of the DZ-Bank Crown skyscraper near Frankfurt Central Station can already be seen in the future. They set up a model floor here, aiming to show the new way of working after the pandemic. At that time, some employees often stayed in the home office, and the other part had to find a free desk in the office every morning. The employees of the IT department started in December Just work here on a regular basis, and employees in other departments can have a taste every day and “try it”, as they say at the bank.
Colorful upholstered furniture, walls covered with natural wood, a bookshelf full of novels and other books-what was once a bland, mostly gray office, now looks like a modern hotel room. The “Lounge” is at the door. The room is designed to encourage teamwork, but individual employees can also use it if they wish. Since every employee can now use a laptop to work, they can also hang out on the office sofa. “We now have more different rooms for different work purposes,” Brauckmann said.
Most importantly, he repeatedly emphasized flexibility. In some rooms, the table can be turned into a writing board, and any number of chairs can be allocated in the room or stacked on the wall as needed. “Looking forward, we hope that the number of laptops will be significantly reduced. Then employees only need to plug in their phones at their desks. All important data is on the bank’s servers.”
A beneficial side effect
At present, three employees are still missing on the entire sample floor. Despite the recent relief, more than 80% of DZ-Bank employees have not yet returned to the office. But when it is full again, employees in the house may have to look for a free desk for a long time. In order to prevent excessive wandering, all office buildings should be divided into zones so that employees can coordinate with each other in their “community.” The DZ bank manager hopes to block the free service desk reservation system. “We want to recreate the office as a collaborative place where employees can communicate with each other,” said Julius Baumann, who is responsible for real estate and space management at the bank. “Ideally, you don’t even need a reservation system.”
