A recent webinar organised by digital workspace solutions provider workcloud24 hosted three leading experts that shared their point of view on how people will work in the post-COVID-19 period backed up by surveys they recently conducted.
Marta Moksa, Managing Director of O4 - one of the largest co-working operators in Poland, calling from Gdansk, shared her latest research on co-working and what it means to people - the study took her team 1.5 years to complete.
Among the exclusive insights, some stood out:
- The idyllic picture of working from home is misleading. Although it was painted as giving employees more comfortable conditions, the truth is that our homes are full of distractions. And dealing with distractions instead of working is a waste of time for the professionals.
- People love co-working because it allows them to be with others. Being social creatures we are, most of us find company energizing. Meeting new people, discussing ideas face-to-face, and doing so in a friendly environment draws employees from homes.
- Co-working changes us for the better. The active users have reported increased openness to new experiences, concentration, better time management, and tolerance to others. Co-working instils the belief that work is a pleasure, success is freedom, and contact with others drives us forward.
Tamás Polster, Partner and Co-Founder of Urbanite Advisors, presented the analytics of the old and new trends in the industry, along with the forecasts and predictions on how the COVID-19 will impact office and location demand in Europe as we advance.
Some of the takeaways are as follows:
- Today, talent drives and will drive the companies' decisions. The shift to hybrid workspaces has been happening for some time now, with businesses in Europe working hard on finding better workspace solutions. We now see innovation as being highly collaborative, and our workers' comfort is our priority.
- The focus is collaboration, and sooner or later, it will be ensured seamlessly. Employees want more flexibility and spaces to get together - on vibrant, open floors, with services to ensure their comfort. There will be more decentralization and community-building initiatives to accommodate that.
- We do not need and won’t be required to be in the office every day, saving hours of commute and tons of CO² emissions. Going to the “office” is increasingly going to be a choice and we want that “office” to be located in a great vibrant place surrounded by services, culture and mixed with residential. Business districts with more than 50% of office components will suffer post-COVID.
Tamás Polster
Partner and Co-Founder
Urbanite Advisors
Hubert Abt, Founder and CEO of New Work & workcloud24, presented modern digital products that help ease the transition to hybrid workplaces, make their usage intuitive and achieve the best results from the perspectives of both employers and employees.
- The ability to change and adapt defines the winners. With the multitude of trends we observe today, you may notice that the most competitive businesses jump to the opportunities to survive and thrive. For example, the tech industry is encouraging employees to work from anywhere they find suitable.
- It is likely the disruptions caused by COVID-19 will never pass. 50% of employees work from home now, and companies that cannot deal with that are failing with the empty office and low sales. Most workers want options - so it is time for their companies to become human-centred.
- The services that ensure desired workspace flexibility are already here: available and affordable, such as Toolbox, the new platform for redesigning modern workspace, with all the up-to-date data and best guidance. Or, for example, Office Pass - the subscription-based plan for professionals to choose any workspace they wish, anywhere and anytime.
- The COVID-19 has disrupted the world as we saw it - but the new normal is already here. It is looking good, and our companies will soon be prepared to embrace it.
Hubert Abt
CEO
New Work & workcloud24
