It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that being an office worker meant tucking yourself away in a cubicle, looking at its four walls for eight hours a day, 40 hours a week. Yet, in a few short years, we’ve entered a new generation of flexible office options, like working from home, fully furnished serviced offices, telecommuting, and digital nomadism.
These new office options aren’t just spicing up the average workplace; they are reshaping it in these ways:
Redesigning Offices as Collaboration Hubs
When COVID-19 had the world in its grip, companies leapt into action to enable their employees to work from home. Even as the world began to recover, many companies allowed employees to continue working from home and adopted hybrid work models.
With the advent of remote work, the need for traditional fixed-desk spaces has diminished, prompting business owners to redesign their offices as collaboration hubs. Hot desks, open lounges, and meeting pods have now replaced conventional office cubicles.
Flexible Leasing
Leasing an office can be pretty expensive. If you rent office space in Manhattan, New York, you can expect to pay nearly $80 per square foot. When you have changing headcounts and varying project needs, a fixed office lease with exorbitant monthly costs isn’t always necessary or convenient.
That’s where flexible, scalable office arrangements come in. Many building owners are now offering space on demand, known as serviced offices and space-as-a-service. You can choose to lease as much space as you need and scale up or down as required. Best of all, many spaces come furnished and equipped with the necessary infrastructure for work. You don’t have to worry about organizing utilities or even connecting phone lines and the internet.
Focus on the Employee Experience
There was very little focus on the employee experience when employees were jammed into office cubicles like sardines. Employee managers generally expected the work to be done without considering the people doing it.
Today, offices are focusing more on convenience, comfort, and wellness to attract the most talented employees and increase worker happiness levels. It’s not uncommon to walk into an office building and see ergonomic furniture, wellness rooms, and amenities like gyms and cafés. Such a shift in focus can make a significant difference to retention rates.
Smart Technology
Businesses want to manage their office space efficiently but often lack the knowledge on how to do so. That’s where smart tech comes in. We can use apps and IoT devices to help.
For example, the most innovative office tech enables employees to book desks to use, track room availability for meetings, and adjust lighting to suit the projects they’re working on. They can even order lunch delivered to the office through a mobile app.
Work Environment Diversity
It’s not just employee diversity that proves valuable in the average workplace; so does work environment diversity. We’re steering away from one-size-fits-all working environments in favor of varied work zones. Now, spaces are being designed to suit different work types, such as quiet environments for focus, open spaces for collaboration, and casual areas for informal interactions.
Creating different zones can have a significant impact on productivity levels. Employees can work in the space that best suits their needs and work styles.
Saying goodbye to traditional office spaces has been a game-changer for both employees and employers. Employee happiness and productivity levels can increase, while business owners may experience reduced overheads, increased flexibility, and the ability to attract more talented individuals.
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