There will be a continuous rise of collaborative spaces as the dramatic shift to remote-centric workstyles continues to grow in a post pandemic environment.
Balder Tol, WeWork general manager for Australia and Southeast Asia, recently told reporters in a press briefing the post pandemic will see the rise of collaborative spaces that will be challenging the cultural norms in the corporate world. “This will give the enterprise organizations to have a portfolio flexibility and enable clients to downsize,” Tol said.
In the Philippines WeWork has presence in four locations namely RCBC Plaza (Makati), Menarco Tower (Bonifacio Global City), Milestone at 5th Avenue (Bonifacio Global City) and Uptown Tower (Bonifacio Global City). It has a presence in 38 countries.
In an online briefing, Samir Sayed, Managing Director, ASEAN and Korea, Poly agreed with Tol that there has been an ongoing and dramatic shift to remote-centric workstyles. “From before the pandemic to 2022, there has been a 25% increase in workers adopting remote-centric working styles and preferences,’ he said.
Although there are several obstacles hindering the return to the office, Sayed emphasized the capacity to connect to one another remains a key element in driving people to return to the office. ‘Connecting employees is driving a shift in office reallocation,” he said.
Tol said the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 forced many companies to reduce their investment in head offices. In 2020-2021, the pandemic forced business organizations to implement the work from home (WFH) in response to the continuing onslaught of the pandemic. In 2022, he said companies saw the need for greater flexibility to have a more balanced approach in the workplace. In their recent survey, Tol said 59% of the executives interviewed expanded their real estate portfolio over the next three years, up by 20% compared to last year. “The 20% of occupiers pointed out that they want shorter terms for traditional lease,” Tol noted.
Meanwhile, 75% would consider a flexible workspace solution to address long-term office needs.
During the pre-pandemic,Low Hee Bun, Senior Solution Architect, Poly said up to 70% of office space was geared towards individual desks and support spaces. However, the post-pandemic period saw the shift to more remote-centric roles which is driving a relocation from individual space, towards space that supports activities that connect employees for collaboration.
“Organizations are getting serious about implementing their long-term hybrid strategies, which also includes plans to refit their office spaces to better fit the new purpose of the office as a center of corporate culture. Planning for the return to office is about designing experiences for this new hybrid world of work that will drive people to the office to build connections, and at the same time maximizing the experiences for those in the office and those who are remote,” Low Hee Bun, Senior Solution Architect, Poly explained.
As a result, Sayed said the paradigm shift will change the delineation of a workplace which was usually defined as a location. However, “work is no longer a place but it’s what your employees do,” Sayed said.
“Work is no longer a place; it’s what your employees do, and how they do it. In the same way, the world of work has also changed; hybrid working is here to stay as an increasingly permanent fixture, although many organizations are figuring out how to succeed at this new model, amidst ongoing challenges with the return to the office,” Sayed added.
Changes in the workplace
Sayed reiterated that changing the workplace scenario will involve the right technologies and strategies.
“For organizations to succeed in this new world of work, they first have to understand how their people do their best work, how to configure work spaces to enable their workers to get the most out of their working hours, and by extension, where to best invest their money in technologies that enable a seamless, flexible, and more equitable working experience.”
Being the most important asset for a company, Sayed said companies must properly define the needs and work styles of the people. The second most important component is checking the right solutions to enable the people to become both effective and efficient while working across different spaces, regardless of where that might be. Finally, Sayed said better design experiences increase both “engagement and innovation by eliminating friction to create seamless transitions from the home office to office spaces regardless of location.
“This people-focused approach is a radical departure from defining requirements based on space. As such, the best way to strategize for the future of work is to understand the people who perform it,” Sayed added.