Collaborative spaces, hot desks, and hybrid work models: Fintech firms gear up for work in a post-pandemic world

With COVID vaccinations underway across the U.S., many firms are now implementing strategies to start bringing their employees back into the office. PwC’s December 2020 Remote Work Survey found that over 70% of U.S. employers in financial services believe employees should be at the office at least three days a week to maintain a distinctive work culture.

JPMorgan Chase plans to organize in-person internships for hundreds of interns in June. Some teams are already back in the New York office. Goldman Sachs hopes to have its employees back in offices by this summer, and Morgan Stanley plans to bring all of its employees back into the office as soon as it’s safe to do so.

For a lot of fintech companies, though, this doesn’t mean a return to pre-pandemic work life. Many, including firms such as Klarna, Wise and Revolut, are coming up with hybrid models that aim to foster in-person collaboration while also retaining the flexibility offered by remote work.

Payments firm Klarna plans to roll out a hybrid work model for its 3500 employees by the end of this summer across all offices globally. Once implemented, employees would only need to be present at the office for two days a week. “Each team will have designated office days so that colleagues can sit together and collaborate in person. Social connection and interaction is highly valued at Klarna, and also an important component given how many new hires have joined during Covid and have never met in real life,” said a spokesperson at Klarna.

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