IWFM Research Highlights Flexibility and Personalisation as the Key to the Future of the Office
02 November 2022 | Updated 03 November 2022
New research released by IWFM and MillerKnoll has revealed that most companies remain uncertain about what their post-pandemic workplaces will look like.
For the research, titled “The future of office design”, IWFM and MillerKnoll invited leading workplace and FM experts such as Cushman and Wakefield, Nationwide, and Red Hat to share insights on where companies currently stand on the future of the office and how the future workplace will be designed.
The report dives into the main considerations for developing a future-facing workplace strategy, including office design, technology, workplace policies, inclusivity and wellbeing, and the legal landscape.
Watch the Video
The key takeaways offer important insights into how businesses are developing and experimenting with new ways of working, while a helpful guidance checklist outlines the points to consider when redesigning the workplace and rethinking your practices.
Most Employees Willing to Try Something New
For most employers, the discovery process for finding new ways of working continues with experimentation being the current preferred approach. However, experts agree that open communication between employers and employees about what’s right for each individual and how they function best is critical. “We have found that people are more willing to try something, even if they’re hesitant about it, as long as it’s for a short period of time and they can give feedback and feel their views have been heard so that the next idea can be adjusted accordingly,” said Elaine Asal, Senior Associate at Gensler, at the event.
Elaine continued: “This kind of follow through builds trust with the employees and engenders the ability to continue to experiment.”
“Choice is really important to people, and the genie is now out of the bottle on that one. People are really voting with their feet if they’re not getting that choice. What they really like is unfettered flexibility.”
–Zoe Humphries
IFM Workplace Experience Director, Cushman and Wakefield
“Unfettered Flexibility”
The risk to companies that fail to involve their people in workplace decisions and the rewards of embracing a collaborative process was set out by Cushman and Wakefield’s IFM Workplace Experience Director, Zoe Humphries: “Choice is really important to people, and the genie is now out of the bottle on that one. People are really voting with their feet if they’re not getting that choice. What they really like is unfettered flexibility.”
Zoe continued: “By creating an amazing employee experience, you could improve everyone’s efficiency.”
Picture: a photograph of Peter Brogan. Image Credit: IWFM
Peter Brogan, Head of Research and Insight at IWFM, commented: “The workplace and facilities management profession has a crucial role to play in recommending, designing and enabling new ways of working that meet individual and organisational needs. Each organisation has its own circumstances and requirements, but as this research shows, experts agree that a flexible, personalised approach will be the best solution for most.”
Joseph White, Director of Design Strategy at MillerKnoll, shared guidance for implementation: “One of the things we heard first-hand is that small signals can send big messages - for better or worse - and that a change in mindset can open up new opportunities. Mutual trust and transparency in communication are critical for balancing individual needs with organisational objectives. By actively maintaining that balance, the outcomes for all will be improved as we design a better tomorrow.”
Picture: a photograph of an office corridor, a meeting room with glass walls can be seen where several people are working at a table with laptops and paperwork. Image Credit: Unsplash
Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 02 November 2022
Industrial Design – Bratislava’s Heating Plant Turned Co-Working Space
The Jurkovič Heating Plant was a central part of Bratislava’s industrial centre and has been extensively renovated to preserve as many industrial design elements...
Citi Offers Alternative Work-life Balance for Bankers in Málaga
Citigroup has announced plans to open a new office hub in Málaga, offering a working alternative for employees in comparison to the likes of London and New York...
Do you feel optimum productivity under the sound of silence, whilst a co-worker thrives with the pulsating beats of the office playlist? Maybe the vibrant prints on your...
With real estate being one of the highest costs for law firms after salaries, how can workplace managers create a valuable space where legal professionals actually want...
Employee engagement is now the top priority for global businesses and nearly two-thirds are investing in their offices, according to a new global survey by ISS.
The...
Five Ways to Review Your Real Estate for Flexible Working
For anyone still in doubt: flexible working is the future, not a fad, says Karl Breeze from Matrix Booking.
In this opinion piece, Karl lays out his recommendations...
x+why Opens its First Suburban Office Hub for Home Workers
Flexible workspace provider x+why has opened its first suburban site in Chiswick, potentially indicating upcoming trends for regional hubs rather than...
Post-COVID Working – What’s the Future of Co-Working Spaces?
During initial national lockdowns, co-working companies incurred losses along with several other businesses, but what’s the future of these flexible...
Most UK Employees Now Believe the Office is Unnecessary
New research from IWFM has revealed that 63 per cent of employees now believe the office to be unnecessary - a rise of a fifth since the first lockdown.
The poll,...
HSBC Managers to Hot Desk Instead of Having Private Offices
HSBC’s Chief Executive has told a national newspaper that an entire executive floor of its Canary Wharf office is now to be used as meeting rooms and collaborative...
FM Qualifications at the College of Central London
Qualifications are essential to gaining recognition and respect. Our mission is to provide skills and knowledge to help you achieve success in IWFM level 5 and 6. Click Image To Read More
ThisWeekinFM – Headline Media Partner
Visit our dedicated EMEX Playlist For All Our Energy Management Focus Interviews. Click Image To Read More
Rinnai – Global Future Energy Hierarchy
Rinnai’s Chris Goggin evaluates the work being completed that is enabling key players in the western and eastern hemispheres to position themselves in the new world energy hierarchy. Click Image To Read More
Energy Transition Update
International governments, notable hemispheric hubs of trade and big business are all engineering strategies that introduce green fuels and technologies. Click Image To Read More
Rinnai Continuous Flow Hot Water Replaces Stored System at Historic Essex School
Holmwood House was opened in 1922 as a boy’s school by Mr and Mrs E F Duggan with the aim ‘to develop the individuality and abilities of each child, to make them self-reliant and adaptable’. Click Image to Learn More
Understand Your Options & Invest Wisely In Training Solutions
An explosion in both the type of training available and how it can be accessed is providing a range of new technological training solutions for the cleaning industry. Click Image To Read More
Energy Transition Update
Sources of low-cost clean power that stabilise domestic energy security and minimise ecological damage will soon be introduced into domestic fuel options across the world. Click Image To Read More.
Unclear Future Energy Plan Risks Additional Customer Costs
Chris Goggin of Rinnai looks at a new report on the 2035 target for decarbonisation from the National Audit Office. Click Image to Learn More
Air Quality and the Future of Work: Why IAQ Matters So Much to Employees
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of good indoor air quality (IAQ) but concerns are set to persist long into the future. Click Image To Read More
Rinnai Introduces 12 Year Warranty and Opens Pathways to Net-Zero
Rinnai is creating practical, economical, and technically feasible pathways to lower carbon emissions. Click Image to Read More
Orbiter™. The First 360 Online Self-Assessment Tool
This innovative tool helps building owners assess their building’s performance and see the bigger picture. Click Image To Read More