Something is surprising in the ongoing discussions about hybrid working. While talking about locations, it seems there are only two possibilities: working from home or at a ‘traditional’ office. An option that is (very) often left out is the possibility for employees to use existing workplaces close to their homes or at convenient places (let’s say, next to a client’s office). And they exist: both in the Netherlands and everywhere in the world, there are high-quality workplaces that offer private desks or meeting rooms available for those needing them. Why not make them part of the hybrid working strategy?
Flexibility is the mantra of hybrid working, and it means allowing for personal choice in determining how, when, and where work gets done. And there is much more than offering working a full day either at home or at the office. What about working half a day in a place close to home, and half a day from home? What about giving the possibility of booking high-quality meeting rooms in a convenient location that does not entail commuting? What about spending one day a week being productive in a coworking space where you can meet other colleagues, interesting professionals, or just simply have a great view? What about having available professional workspaces to work without having to commute?
If we talk about flexibility, it is essential to provide a full spectrum of locations that caters to individual and team preferences. A study published by WeWork showed that most employees prefer to split their time between the headquarters, home, and other locations, including available external workspaces. Besides, two-thirds of employees mentioned that they would be willing to pay for these third locations out of their own pockets. So, there is a clear demand. Although working from home is convenient, spending a day at home might be uninspiring, distracting, and uncomfortable for some. By giving access to a platform to book external workspaces, organizations can give employees control to feel more productive, comfortable, and motivated: the true spirit of hybrid working!
Besides, teams are also in need of control regarding when and how they meet. Distributed teams might need planned or impromptu in-person meetings, and their company’s headquarters might already be full on a specific day. By giving access to remote workspaces, individuals and teams can book meeting rooms for a couple of hours, half-day, or a full day. While employers are downsizing their headquarters, there is pressure to find the right occupancy rate to ensure that employees can interact and feel part of the organization. Making on-demand meeting spaces available in coworking spaces is a cost-efficient solution to avoid putting pressure on an organization’s headquarters, ensuring that people can meet when and where they need to meet.
Considering the number of coworking spaces and office locations all over the world, the possibilities to make them available for organizations exploring truly flexible hybrid working strategies are endless. Hybrid working goes beyond working from home or at the office. Organizations can now support employees to tailor how they want to work by giving them the tools and platforms to choose from convenient places next to home (or at other convenient locations) that adapt to their activities and preferences on specific days.
The possibilities that hybrid working offers are endless. Employees have now the autonomy to choose a workplace that suits them best at that moment, for the work they need to do, the agenda they have, the meetings they need to attend. Do not think in binary terms and explore the benefits of making on-demand additional workspaces available. If you would like to explore these options, get in touch with us at localdesk.eu/#contact.
