Waking up, having a shower, pouring a cup of coffee, and hurrying up for the daily subway commute to the office space. Just a normal day at work? Not anymore.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work. Just two years ago, 44% of global companies didn’t allow remote work at all. Now many companies are switching to more flexible work models due to safety reasons – a mix between remote, multi-mode, and satellite office work.
And surveys show that even when stay-at-home orders come to an end, people will be reluctant to return to the “old normal”. Here’s what to expect.
More satellite offices
As the staff’s health and well-being is becoming a key priority, crowded office buildings might be a thing of the past. Also, businesses and employees will try to avoid long commutes to the headquarters.
“We’re going to have to think about hub-and-spoke systems where some local people don’t travel so far because they don’t want to be in public transit for so long. So, we’re going to have to really rethink how businesses operate,” comments Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google.
Therefore, many companies are shifting from major business “big city headquarters” strategy to smaller satellite offices in different locations, accommodating 8-10 employees. This view is echoed by chief executives of big organizations like Barclays and WPP, among others, who recently announced they would look at more de-centralized approaches of staff distribution.
“To reduce the number of employees working onsite, companies can embrace satellite spaces, as they provide shorter and private commute paths, remain within regulatory compliance, and are flexible enough to address the company’s needs on a weekly or monthly basis. Such an approach also hedges the risk of complete company close-downs,” says Campus X’s Co-Founder and CEO Boyko Iaramov.
Less people onsite at the HQ
The standard model of all team members working onsite at the headquarters is changing due to COVID-19. To limit the potential spread of the disease, many organizations will look for ways to operate with more distancing over a longer period of time.
This might mean reducing the core teams, who work onsite at the headquarters. The rest of the team could either work from home or be dispersed across satellite offices, located closer to their homes.
Multi-mode offices
Striking the right balance is tough. The COVID-19 period and the following transition will push companies to explore different office and work models. Mixing home office work with onsite work at the headquarters, as well as the satellite office options.
“Nature has a beautiful capacity to always find the right balance. Organizations are, in their pure form, another living organism. One that responds to external and internal factors – growth, availability of resources, danger, and others. Not only passively reacting to the current turbulent times, but pro-actively embracing and building for a balanced business co-existence, will allow for the companies’ ultimate flexibility and continuous business operations,” comments our CEO Boyko Iaramov in his article, which thoroughly explores the future of work and office spaces.
Flexible serviced offices
One thing is sure: flexible working will be the norm rather than the exception when the pandemic comes to an end and all the measures are lifted. Naturally, businesses will look for flexibility to be able to cope with this period of great dynamics.
Long-term leases, stretching over 5-10 years won’t work anymore. Building your own satellite office has its shortcomings too – overly time-consuming and costly.
One viable solution might be the flexible serviced office providers (landlords and operators), who can execute against the company’s criteria and seamlessly and swiftly set up move-in ready satellite offices. Additionally, serviced office providers are flexible in nature. They should be able to adjust to the changing environment and provide flexible month-to-month plans, which allow companies to easily scale up and down if needed. Giving them what they need right now to stay operational, along with flawless end-to-end office experience and support. Check out 7 key benefits of serviced offices in 2020.
Flexible working is the new normal
COVID-19 transformed the way we live and work. Perhaps, we’re never going back to normal. Because the definition of normal has changed. What to do then? Adjust. Adopt new ways of working. Embrace more flexible office models. And keep moving forward in the new normal.
Need a flexible and safe end-to-end office to power your business in the new normal? Check out our private serviced offices.
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