“We live in more than interesting times.”
Ronny Nuten
Head of Office Agency at Ceusters
4
CEUSTERS
| Offices: The new ways of working
The impact of the new ways of working on the office market We gathered four real estate experts, Rikkert Leeman, Laurent Calonne, Ronny Nuten and Mathieu Van Marcke, around the table. The topic? The ‘new way of working’. Will we soon return to the office life we had before? Or has home-working become an acquired right? What should the workplace of the future look like? Is it still relevant? These questions ignited an inspired discussion in which the concepts of ‘flexibility’ and ‘balance’ prevailed.
The experiment Ronny Nuten, Head of Office Agency at Ceusters, jumpstarts the panel discussion. ‘We live in more than interesting times’, he states. ‘After all, the corona crisis has turbocharged a trend that had already been present in the office market for some time: hybrid working. This acceleration has, in turn, set all kinds of dynamics in motion. Not just whether you still need an office or what a present-day workplace should look like, but it also raises questions about labour legislation. How, for example, do you embed home-working into the company policy? And what about insurance? The ‘new way of working’ due to COVID clearly awakens questions about both business accommodation and business management!’ Rikkert Leeman, CEO of Alides, immediately chimes in and proposes looking at the last year and a half as one big experiment. His fellow panel members are immediately intrigued. Rikkert Leeman: ‘Take, for example, the first full lockdown. The compulsory remote working pleasantly surprised many people: no more annoying commute to work, an easier combination of private tasks with work, the possibility of getting some fresh air during the day, ... Moreover, it turned out that certain work activities, that are rather technical or repetitive in nature, could indeed be done just as well from home. And maybe even better! Because it is easier to focus at home. In short, we can conclude that it was a successful experiment. Thanks also to the good weather. But then comes the other side of the coin. The ‘experiment’ has lasted too long. The novelty soon wore off. The fourth virtual happy hour was one too many. Our heads were about to explode after the umpteenth Teams meeting ... And above all, we have discovered that we are greater social animals than we had ever suspected. I believe in management by walking around; you get so
much more useful information from informal contacts. There are many mini contact moments in which important information can be checked. You don’t set up a Teams meeting for these small, yet important, things.’
“Mini contact moments are important.” RL Laurent Calonne: ‘We can’t ignore some of the pros. Multidisciplinary remote cooperation is very successful, at least if it is well supported technically and focussed on well-defined subjects. I have experienced this myself on several occasions. The ‘Teams era’ has generated a lot of work comfort. I can even say that this technology has given our company a productive boost. I just had a very successful meeting while commuting by train thanks to this technology. It used to be unthinkable and would have cost us a lot of time. Working from home helps save on mobility, which results in greater availability. At the same time, you have to add the nuance that traffic to and from work also offers the possibility to switch on and off and, moreover, it is for many people the best time to make some phone calls. But when talking about the pros, we must also honestly name the cons. The best ideas and the crucial social component require a real-life, in-person gathering.’
Mathieu Van Marcke: ‘It was no coincidence that Google abandoned its own experiment of making home-working compulsory for everyone. For both employees and employers, home-working has, besides some positive aspects – which no one will deny and which I believe we will not abandon – also created problems. For example, employees develop stress because their work life and private life are too mixed up and they can no longer vent over a coffee break ... And on the employers’ side, they have seen productivity fall during the compulsory home-working period! Essentially, the peace and quiet of your home can help you concentrate ... but it is not a perfect alternative, and certainly not for all tasks.’
Rikkert Leeman CEO of Alides
“The ‘Teams era’ has generated a lot of work comfort.” LC Ronny Nuten: ‘Furthermore, we have noticed another problem here at Ceusters: it is difficult to onboard people. As a family business, we have a company culture that relies on a very transparent and, above all, very close cooperation. It is quite a challenge to convey that culture from a distance.’
Laurent Calonne CEO of Banimmo
