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For more than a few months now, we have been witnessing a worldwide experiment in ways of working, a new reality we have been pressed into. Consequently, the vast majority of employees in business service industries have been working 5 days a week from the comfort of their own couch or desk. While it may have been a positive experience for some for the first few weeks, as the new daily grind and routine set it, it turned out not to work for everyone, every day. This period made us realize the importance of belonging, connectedness, and socialization and the data we collected confirms this.
In recent time, work in general (from offices to manufacturing operations) had been going through constant changes. In services, we have explored more flexibility at work (from flex desking scenarios, to activity-based working, to working from home), more diverse settings in the workplace and more digital platforms and virtual tools. The experiences from the COVID-19 period should accelerate the transformation of offices to become places that supercharge collaboration and innovation.
The global pandemic will be the catalyst for a new evolution in office design: the workplace will be a more changing and organic setting and the restricted freedom today could lead to increased freedom tomorrow. Today, the vast majority of organizations have moved away from pure control and efficiency to focus more on collaboration, knowledge sharing, innovation and trust. While the office functions and work patterns will change, the workplace will become a place that cultivates and support interaction for the people using them. This will mean more rooms where creativity and talks will thrive, less open space and spaces that that encourages behaviors new habits, modifying the approach to team management and implementing tools to manage the use of new flexible space effectively. In the post-COVID-19, alongside increased remote working for those needing time to focus on specific tasks, we predict an increased popularity along the companies that will transform their workplaces to supercharge teamwork, collaboration and creativity. It means that the way that space is designed and utilized will change, to further represent a business’ brand, culture and values. A further aspect likely to change is seeking a new balance between working from home and from the office, so as to meet both the needs of the employee and of the employer. Another key transformation might be the shift from the classic 40-hour work week to a more output-based approach, so shorter work times as long as employees manage to get the job done.
That said, it is important to note that there is nothing written in stone yet, things will remain fluid for the next couple of years and may change quite significantly, as employers would not dare take any long-term decisions without adequate clarity. This includes a careful analysis of all facets of work, from productivity to team cohesion to employee satisfaction, during this unprecedented shock for the economy.
How many days/week would employees want to work outside the office
(% of answers)
Most see a notable improvement in work-life balance
amid working from home
(% of answers from Romania)
Source: Colliers International
As part of Colliers global Work from Home survey of around 5,000 respondents across 18 industries, the findings revealed that a hybrid of both at-home and in-office work will be in demand, indicating that the office will continue to be a sought-after environment for many workers. As part of that study and different client facing report (around 200 respondents), we can share some info on Romania, which are pretty much in line with global trends. For instance, something which has been mentioned in various studies and by various multinationals is offering the possibility of working 2-3 days/week remotely, which is probably also where the sweet spot would fall for most employees in Romania. Of course, people are looking for flexibility and choice, but it is about finding the right balance for the employee and employer.
With regards to why the offices are a bit more important, we noticed quite a bit more people stating that they can collaborate better from the office than by using tools like video messaging apps. Other responses showed that they also missed the social aspects of work from the office, which are quite important to building cohesion and team spirit.
Ability to collaborate and participate in meetings
(% of answers)
How many days/week would employees want to work outside the office
(% of answers)
Source: Colliers International
As Winston Churchill said, “Never waste a good crisis”, this is a great opportunity to strategically rethink the way the organization works and define what workplace suits best to this way of working. And reimagining the post-pandemic way of working is something which should be carefully analysed to find just the right mix of old and new. Yes, work from home is here to stay, but on its own, it cannot foster a sense of belonging and common purpose for employees, which would, in time, lead to losses for both the teams and the organizational culture. In conclusion, while offices are far from likely to disappear amid the rise of remote working, they will also have to change accordingly to meet the new needs of employers and employees.