Demand for offices will shrink in the future due to the adoption of hybrid work arrangements, which also helps companies save money, commented speakers of the workplace strategies panel of CEE Property Forum 2022, held in Vienna.

While prior to the pandemic, as many as 76% of organisations employed people to work exclusively in the office, only 24% of organisations surveyed by Colliers say they will adopt the same hiring strategy in the future. With this significant change, we are seeing new developments in the labour market – employees’ expectations towards employers are changing, as well as the way office space is designed, which today must meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. The Colliers report Hybrid and Beyond, prepared in association with partners HRK S.A. and Well.hr, shows the most important aspects of implementing hybrid work in companies operating in the Polish market.

As many as 60% of office workers want a hybrid model of work, with 55% having previously worked in this manner. The pandemic has introduced revolutionary changes in the way we work, forcing companies to rapidly adapt to this shift in working patterns. After more than two years, the time has come to reflect and develop a working model that both supports an organisation’s business goals and responds to employees’ expectations. 

Three in five employers (59%) will ultimately embrace hybrid working - this represents a 14 pp increase on the June 2021 survey. Global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield has published the results of its survey of 103 decision-makers in office space management in Poland.

One of the main advantages of working in an office is the opportunity to be around colleagues. Social interaction in the workplace is known to boost creativity and productivity which is why companies are focusing on providing employees with more space for socialisation and teamwork. As post-Covid working habits are still rapidly changing and the reorganisation of corporate headquarters takes time and money, many employers are providing their employees with the opportunity to work from flex offices, according to market feedback gathered by CEE-based operator New Work.

One of the leading flex office providers in CEE expects to see drastic changes in the office market during the coming years. Property Forum talked to Hubert Abt, CEO of New Work about the drivers of the rapidly evolving world of workplaces.

The change in the office market which we witnessed in 2021 was only the warmup for what is to come in 2022 and forward. The sharing economy and digitization are driving the disruption in the office industry and the adaption of hybrid work models from international corporations are acting as a booster. New Work’s annual Flex Office Market Report 2022, presented in Warsaw and broadcasted internationally, provides some insights.

More businesses have discovered that remote work arrangements support growth, but the future of work will include both office-based and remote work, driven by the nature of tasks, suggested speakers during the workplace strategies panel of SEE Property Forum 2021, Property Forum's annual event in Bucharest.

More and more companies are returning to their offices by implementing a hybrid model of work. The prolonged use of this working model has translated into a lower volume of transactions. The technology sector still remains the most active. Advisory company JLL summarizes the situation and future development perspectives for the Polish office market at the end of Q3 2021.

IWG Founder and CEO Mark Dixon shared his vision for making work more local, locking in benefits for people, profits and the planet.