- Companies want both the collaborative atmosphere the physical office provides and the flexibility to support remote work for their employees
- Demand for flexible workspace is increasing amid uncertainty as companies look for cost-management solutions
While the pandemic has led many to believe remote work will become the norm, concerns about lagging creativity and loneliness demonstrate that there is still a role for the office in a post Covid-19 world, according to The Executive Centre (TEC).
While there are advantages to working from home, such as reduced commuting times, costs and pollution, there are also disadvantages for businesses and employees. In a video produced in association with Business Reporter, Paul Salnikow, founder and CEO of TEC, discusses what the future of work could look like.
“Being one of Asia’s largest premium flexible workspace operators gives us a good insight into how companies have been adapting,” he says. “Once our centres reopened, we found our members were looking forward to coming back as they missed the social interaction their office provided.” Other disadvantages to remote working include a disruption to creative thinking and the additional logistical steps required to ensure business can continue as usual.
The situation has also made it difficult for companies to accurately predict headcount. “What we’re seeing now is a re-evaluation by organisations of their office strategy,” Salnikow says. “The current market uncertainty is creating huge demand for the flexible workspace sector as companies try to manage costs and become less willing to commit to long-term leases.” Vast resources are wasted paying leases for real estate businesses simply don’t need. Flexible working spaces are a vital way of ensuring that no longer happens.
“Every healthy business needs to consider what mix of traditional and flexible is right for its teams and their work,” says Senior Development Director of TEC, Todd Liipfert. “Sales teams who need to work both remotely and in different places will benefit from flexible access to broad networks. Creative teams that use the office as a place to spark ideas need more permanent and fixed spaces.”
The workspace of the future must be agile and versatile to adapt to unprecedented and unpredictable challenges that are becoming more common in our society. Wherever and however, businesses choose to move forward post Covid-19, there will be a workspace trend where professionals place higher value on their flexibility.
For more details, watch the video here.
