Where will we work from in the future?

“Office to go” and flex solutions – that’s what defines the office market post-COVID-19
New Work´s market update report

The past year has turned every aspect of our lives upside down, including the way we work and use office space. CEE-based flex office provider New Work has updated its annual research that confronts these issues and shows how our habits to use the office as a place of work have changed over the past year. Research shows that flexible office space in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania has increased tenfold and workplace needs now are completely different than ever before, so there should be an office ready to use at every corner.

“Office to go” as a property trend for the next few years

COVID-19 took the world in a completely different direction. This uncertain time has significantly changed the office space market. 2020 is over and the office as we know it is almost completely gone. Now we need not only a comfortable workspace and a desk. “Office to go” is a global trend and companies are already investing in them. What we all need is the fastest possible access to the workplace, a comfortable and professional space. Swiss railways have already noticed this trend by creating flexible office spaces at railway stations or the Accor hotel chain, where offices are opened in hotels.

“According to McKinsey’s latest report “The future of work after COVID – 19” the new reality is that, 25 % of the entire workplaces and up to 70 % of the computer related workplaces qualify for working from home and rotation models which will lead to 30 % less office space needed in the headquarters, but much more the need for flexible space in multi-locations. Going forward, companies will need to adjust to remote work policies and accommodate more flexible work routines that allow workers to choose where they work from – says Hubert Abt, CEO of New Work, in the latest market report “Flex Solutions post COVID-19”. The company is one of the largest flexible office space operators in Central and Eastern Europe.

Flex solution with social impact

Workspaces will generally be available in every corner of the city. It will also have its social impact. This not only helps to ensure a better work-life balance but much more to reduce our carbon footprint.

Research has shown that rural management manpower and places with such tools can save up to 30% of traffic pollution in rush hour.

“Currently, both employees and companies have re-evaluated almost all assumptions made so far. The time of commuting to the workplace as well as the aspects of ecology, flexibility and the ability to work and manage a team in the virtual world has become even more important than before,” concludes Abt.

Offices as a place for socializing and exchanging information will not be the only place for this anymore – companies are adapting their culture to the new reality. Companies are forced to manage their workforce in the cloud and keep close contact to each member via the cloud as most of the employees outsource the place to meet and teamwork from the HQ and will organize meetings in third places. This leads to a constant adaption of their organizational structures and workflow models.