INVESTMENTS
Offices – From Workspace to Experience Space Text | Grzegorz Kmieciński
Over the past two years, we have learned to adapt to unforeseen scenarios. Many organizations are still contemplating how to ensure the well-being of their employees, and it is certain that these employee needs are evolving. They are often, if not mainly, the driving force for change, whether in terms of the benefits they are offered, the freedom to choose their work model, or even the shortening of the working week. After a period of prolonged lockdowns and hyper-optimism related to the options of full freedom in terms of remote work, there are voices and reflections that the office is not so bad after all.
According to a survey conducted last
body language or intonation can lead to
On the one hand, organizations re-
August by international job site Indeed.
misunderstandings. In the era of video
main in the traditional model – offering
com, there are five elements of working
conferencing, there is also an oversatu
their employees classic office spaces, and
in an office that people missed most when
ration of this form of work.
flexible formats understood as both co
• 37% miss the daily routine of going to
working spaces and serviced offices. Hence
• 73% miss the personal connection.
the office. Working remotely creates
the development of coworking networks
Before the pandemic, most workers
a significant change in routine. While
is observed not only in larger cities.
spent half of their day at work inter
this may have its benefits for some –
acting socially in various ways, inclu
such as the ability to work from the com
ding participating in spontaneous con
fort of home and the added flexibility of
versations that are difficult to repli
managing others' schedules at home – it
cate virtually.
can be difficult to recreate the daily rou
working remotely:
• 64% are less distracted working in
tine of going to work if you're not physi
the office than at home. A bustling office
cally anywhere. Having two different
with lots of people can be distracting
locations and hours for work and home
for some, but for others, home can be
(and, well, everything else) makes it eas
even more disruptive – whether it's due
ier to separate each day.
to children, pets, neighbors or a noisy neighborhood.
Management, HR, departments in order to cope with the changing expecta
The second format, which is the basis of activity, is conducting business in the remote model.
• 50% miss the commute – also understood
tions of employees have been indirectly
At this point, the possibility of
as a daily routine during the daily com
forced to work hard conceptually. And
remote work is no longer just an option
mute (a phone call to family members,
all this to find the golden mean to ensure
– but often a requirement. Some compa
a favorite radio show or a quick break
optimal conditions conducive to the work
nies relying on this model – either com
fast break). The research was conducted
and efficiency of employees.
pletely eliminated the office space, or
in the United States, where the average
Some of the organizations have also
enabled them to hire more employees –
commute time was about 26.6 min. At
used this time to change their assump
also in markets that until now were out
the moment the concept of 15-minute
tions about the format of their operations,
side their zone of possibilities.
cities is popular, where the average com
used office space, number of branches.
mute to work, or key places for us – is just
The last type of Hub&spoke – combines the advantages of the traditional
HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED THE OFFICE MARKET?
and remote model. Organizations allow
co-workers. Videoconferencing plat
After a certain period of slowdown, three
space, as well as allow their emplo
forms enable communication, however
main trends are noticeable.
yees to use flexible space in coworking
a quarter of an hour. • 45% miss personal meetings with their
the lack of direct relations, reading of
40
Some of the organizations have used pandemic time to change their assumptions about the format of their operations, used office space, number of branches.
employees to use both traditional office
spaces located in the same city, but also
Focus on Business | May–June 2022
