The pandemic has changed the way people work in London; four in ten Londoners work to a hybrid pattern, which is the highest in the country. In that context, London’s near empty offices on a Monday and Friday are not a reflection of a healthier work-life balance, but rather a symptom of how the one-size-fits-all approach to office life isn’t suitable for most workers anymore.
The office debate seems to have become one of those polarising topics and is often categorised into a discussion over whether or not workers are sitting at theirdesks. At Fora, which is part of The Office Group, we have long championed the belief that conformity has always led to compromise.
To help us shape our workspaces, we recently commissioned research from the Institute of Employment Studies, the leading centre for human resources and employment. Its study of 2,000 knowledge workers revealed that for nearly half of British employees (44%), their work environment was hindering their performance, a figure that rises to 51 percent for employees under the age 35.
Work does more than just pay the bills, it should also stimulate and fulfil us.That’s no longer an ideal, it’s an expectation. As the owner of around 60 office spaces in London, we have unparalleled insight into the behaviours and motivations of 29,000 workers from businesses of different shapes and sizes, operating in an array of sectors – we see what works and what doesn’t.
So, if you oversee a team or business, you need to ask yourself, do your employees have what they need to deliver their best work? Forget the desk and chair; asan overall experience do your employees enjoy the days they spend at work? From the location you choose to the diversity of office amenities available, is the experience you are offering enabling or obstructing their ability to work in their own individual way?
For Fora, there is a clear opportunity to change things for the better. Since our inception, we’ve been shaping the workplace to meet the ever-evolving needs anddemands of modern workers and have long championed the belief that by doing so, we are laying the foundations for a more productive and engaged workforce.
Our research shows that while three in five of those studied (59%) regularly use offices, less than half of those believe the facilities and spaces on offer have a positive impact on their output. To me, this highlights a real disconnect between the expectations of employees and employers as to the facilities and amenities they require to thrive.
Even the best workplace is only as good as the customer experience it delivers and, while our own London occupancy figures are now back above pre-pandemic levels, we recognise that we’re an outlier and that many offices still lie empty. Utilisation of workspaces like ours is high because we focus, first and foremost, on creating spaces that add value beyond the superficial, and offer people the freedom to work in whichever ways suit their evolving needs.
The perfect workspace cannot exist in a vacuum, it needs to be accessible, flexible enough to cope with both deskwork and discussion, surrounded with experiential leisure, retail and other like-minded businesses, and packed with a cosmopolitan mix of people that authentically enjoy each other's company and the area they work in.
The future of work in London is strong, and premium, tailored workspaces operated with a human-centric mind-set are thriving. By leading, challenging and setting the standard for what the workspace experience should be, we are empowering people to create their best work in their own unique way. Let’s get London working by banishing outdated workspaces in favour of great places to work.
Enrico Sanna, Chief Executive, The Office Group
