Flexibility in workspaces: vaccine against uncertainty

The quarantine has opened the eyes of workers and companies, who have become aware of the possibility of working in other spaces, beyond their own offices.

And it is that flexibility is today the most demanded requirement by users of flexible spaces, according to the study "2020: The flex space under examination" carried out by CBRE.

This analysis highlights the fact that, after the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies plan to incorporate flexible spaces as a fundamental part that guarantees business continuity in exceptional situations, and there are beginning to be signs of recovery in the sector: more than 3,500 flexible jobs have been hired in the third quarter.

It also highlights that the pandemic has catalyzed the tendency of companies to seek and try to create workplaces that attract and retain the best talent. If this trend continues to rise, flex spaces will allow companies to navigate unforeseen events, such as volatility in workforce size, test potential growth and access a ready-to-use space.

The study concludes that flexibility benefits the company and the employee, increasing their level of satisfaction and productivity. In addition, it also predicts that flexible offices will be excellent thermometers of the recovery of the economy once we have overcome the pandemic.

Flex spaces in the new scenario of office use: towards an hybrid work model

Along the same lines, a recent study by Cushman & Wakefield, in collaboration with Proworkspaces, the national space association, talks about the new scenario of office use, highlighting the viability of its business model as a determining factor of success. It also points out how the health crisis is helping to shore up the flexibilization of jobs, and that companies, and not the self-employed, are now the basis of new flexible space occupation operations in Spain.

In addition, the study also emphasizes the development of talent, which it considers at risk due to the current context, and highlights as main reasons the lack of feeling of belonging to the company and the lack of adequate spaces at home, as well as the problems that affect well-being (emotional and physical) derived from working exclusively at a distance. It also points out that employees cannot acquire leadership skills remotely and is producing a gap between managers and the rest of the workers, since while the former are being autonomous, the latter are losing leadership training by not being close to the team executive.

As long as the health crisis persists, the trend is for companies to continue to adopt new ways of using their workspace, and for this reason the office (traditional and flexible) is now conceived as one more element in this ecosystem. Therefore, we can affirm that meeting points (flexible offices) continue to be the best places to share ideas / synergies and constitute a catalyst environment for creativity. Ultimately, it is no longer so much about working remotely or not, but about looking for hybrid solutions through the flexibility of workspaces that allow combining the two options, thus combining the advantages of each one.

CINC is a leading company in the preparation of corporate work spaces, flexible spaces and the adaptation of professional environments, with more than 20 years of experience and a pioneer in 22 @, the innovation district of Barcelona.