Flexible Office Space Report // Why It is Increasingly Becoming Part of Workplace Strategy

Flexible Office Space Report  // Why It is Increasingly Becoming Part of Workplace Strategy

Flexible office options can be a valuable component of a diverse office workplace ecosystem to provide employees the workplace flexibility they now demand.

This is according to   a report by Cushman & Wakefield a leading global real estate services firm, in partnership with WeWork, a flexible space provider.

The report surveyed 800 people working in Flexible spaces in finding growing demand for flexible office space. 

Amongst the findings, people who currently use flexible office space want to increase their utilization up to half their workday. 

Among those surveyed, 40% of their time is spent in flexible office space, 55% at home and approximately 5% in other places. 

Looking ahead, respondents said they want to be in flexible office space 50% of the time and reduce their work from home time to about 45% – a 19% reduction.

“If employers and employees learned anything during the global pandemic, it’s that work can be effectively performed in spaces beyond the traditional office, and employees often seek more choice in their work environments after going through this experience. Businesses have proven they can not only survive but even thrive with a dispersed office workforce,” said Despina Katsikakis, Executive Partner and Global Lead of Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield.

Source: WeWork + C&W Workplace Experience Survey (n=808)

Additionally, while people choose to work in flexible offices and traditional company office spaces for similar reasons – including the chance to collaborate, socialize and connect with others, three critical factors that can drive a preference for flexible office spaces include: the space feels like an extension of the employee’s traditional office and culture, supports the employee’s wellbeing, and offers both the right technology and right spaces for collaboration.

“The data and perspectives provided by the survey through our partnership with WeWork strongly suggest that flexible office options can be a valuable component of a diverse workplace ecosystem that provides employees the workplace flexibility they now demand,” said Despina Katsikakis, Executive Partner and Global Lead of Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield.

 “With this data organizations should feel confident that flexible office locations can be part of a diverse office ecosystem that supports employee flexibility and strong employee performance.”

Return to Office

Earlier on,  Cushman & Wakefield also released a report that indicated the hybrid work model is here to stay. 

“Not only do employees across industries want hybrid solutions, but their reasons for going to the office have shifted to be about socialization, collaboration, connection, and to achieve work-life balance,” read part of the report.

The report studied employees across a range of industries to determine how hybrid preferences vary as well as the reasons employees still want a physical office.

The report indicates 5 fast facts that included:

Regardless of Industry: Employees expect a hybrid work model going forward. Our survey indicates that 44% of employees want to go to the office periodically, up to two days a week.

Professional Services Companies: Have the highest percentage of employees who want to return full time, while the Healthcare and Technology sectors have the highest percentage interested in remote work.

The primary reason employees go into the office is socialization: With 52% of respondents indicating seeing their coworkers was the most important reason to return, regardless of industry.

Over time, more employees have come to view the office as a place for personal connections and rely less on it to access resources than they used to: in 2020 31% of employees said they go to the office to access tools compared to 21% today – the largest downward shift of all the reasons tested this likely reflects the fact that they have

Created More effective workspaces at home:15% of survey respondents indicated there are no benefits in coming to the office. Companies need to convey the value of the office as a place for connection and collaboration if they want to entice people back.

As the Hybrid work model becomes a preference for so many organizations, there is a need for you to consider having your teams work from flexible workspaces. Let us help you, Nairobi Garage offers flexible workspaces across Nairobi. 

With five locations in Westlands, Karen, Spring Valley, CBD and Kilimani, our spaces offer just what your team needs to have a smooth transition into your Hybrid Work model. Check out our packages here and let us help you decide on a suitable one for you and your team.