When we look at the way that many companies are working after the pandemic, it is difficult to know what the effects of the largest work from home movement is going to cause in businesses after we all get back to normal. Widespread studies on methods of working over the past year have shown positive and negative aspects of working from home and removing investments in the traditional office space. Here are things executives agree on to find a workspace.
As many companies are considering the value of ditching their physical workspace after seeing some of the benefits to productivity and flexibility that are offered after the pandemic. Decisions in finding workspaces for managers and teams are coming down to a series of games that many people can agree on for the best workspace qualities:
Remote First Operations
Many companies polled prior to the pandemic suggested that they did not have a single remote team member working for them. Only 10% of companies surveyed after a year of coronavirus are suggesting that they will not have any remote employees. 30% of companies also expect more than half of their workforce to continue operating remotely. A quarter of the companies surveyed have suggested that they will continue their business operations as they are, with the majority of their employees working from home. The implications on business real estate could see a significant shift over the next 4 to 6 months as many companies are turning over to permanent changes in physical office footprints.
For the companies that are seeking flexible office spaces after the pandemic, here are some of the main features that they will be seeking:
A Short Commute
Remote working has shown many employees what a short commute can be. The benefits of being able to work from your desk every day free up extra time that you can use for resolving items at work as well as offering a better balance for home life.
Proper Workplace Culture
If employees are going to be going into an office they need to also have a connection to the culture and a unified branding front. One of the biggest responses that many employees highlighted about working during the pandemic is that are sometimes lonely and that they felt less unified with their team. Offering a space that delivers connection and culture will improve synergy.
A Proper Space For Collaboration
Collaboration has long been the focus of many offices post-pandemic and face-to-face collaboration comes at a premium today. Chance encounters between team members are quite sporadic but when a remote meeting place is offered for employees, it can often get much easier to help employees who are working in isolation. Many team members can struggle to work in isolation but if you can find a workspace it can be a big help for employees to have the best experience with their teams.
Healthy Work Balance Solutions
Having a place that’s healthy for work-life balance in the pandemic is very important. It’s impacted the well-being of many workers and having a place that’s going to be filled with amenities such as a place to eat, childcare, and more can make life a lot easier. Working more hours and facing additional meetings can grow much easier when employees feel as though they’re going to be compensated for their time and working in a safer space during the pandemic.
With so many businesses changing over to a remote-first objective after the pandemic, there are going to be drivers for employee engagement happening in any type of physical workspace. Full-time office space may be a thing that we are saying goodbye to, but we are going to see improvements to each level of employee experience moving forwards. If you are trying to find a workspace then contact us today for a free tour!