It appears as if the pandemic is over, and society has returned to something called “normal”. Terms like lateral flow test, social distancing, and face masks slowly disappear from our everyday conversations. However, terms like hybrid work, virtual meetings, and work-life balance are here to stay! This indicates an increased need for flexibility in the modern workforce and flexible office space becomes more important than ever before.
What is flexible office space?
In a nutshell, it is an office that flexibly adjusts to the needs of individual workers. This type of workspace is designed to provide a variety of layouts, desk spaces as well as places and ways to work.
The term flexible office space is often used as a synonym for shared office spaces with hot desks and open workspaces. In reality, it entails a lot more than that because flexibility goes way beyond the mere choice of a desk. Modern office solutions accommodate for the needs of a hybrid workforce and can entail the following aspects (amongst others):
- Flexible hot desks
- Fixed desks
- Meetings rooms of different sizes
- Serviced office space
- Coffee areas and lounges with sofas
- Coworking spaces in several locations for remote employees
- Option to add or remove desks
- Outdoor area (e.g. balcony, garden)
- and more
Increased flexibility
A significant number of companies follow a hybrid work model these days and employees can work from anywhere. In most cases, teams are distributed over different locations in the country. There might be a team of 15 in London, 3 employees in Bristol, 1 in Edinburgh, and a few others in the countryside. In these cases, a traditional office is a non-justifiable expense, and an even more flexible solution is needed.
In the above case, the best possible solution would be a combination of a private office with a set number of desks in London, a team membership for a coworking space in Bristol, and a list of coffee shops, hotel lobbies, and coworking spaces in all relevant locations for employees to choose where they would like to work. Part of the HR policies for hybrid working could be an additional allowance for a home office setup. There should also be an option to upgrade the number of desks in the flexible office space for new hires. If they prefer alternative work setups, an option to reduce the number of desks is also relevant.
A solution as unique as your business
A few years ago, this might have been an unrealistic, futuristic scenario, but it is possible today. Othership offers flexible solutions for any company or requirement thanks to partnerships with private offices, coworking spaces, coffee shops and hotels that individuals or teams can book hourly, daily or monthly. Flexibility is at the core of this concept: flexibility in the type of workspace, flexibility in team size, flexibility in time, and flexibility in price:
- On-Demand Workspaces: Hot desks in multiple locations at different times with a pay-as-you-go model
- Fixed Workspaces: Private offices of different sizes and flexible leases
- Hybrid Working Solution: Hot desks and private offices within Othership’s network of flexible workspaces
There is a solution for any business and our experienced office advisors can help find a flexible office for you and your team.
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