The hybrid working model is becoming the norm in most workplaces, with employees dividing their time between the office and working remotely. Although this provides freedom and flexibility for staff, it is creating a challenge for employers in making sure everyone is productive, engaged, and feels part of an inclusive culture. So let’s talk about digital inclusion – what it is, why it’s important, and how you can ensure your workplace strategy supports it. What is digital inclusion in the workplace? Each employee, whether they are working at a physical office or remotely, wants to feel part o ..read more

What are the key trends impacting on real estate as we, hopefully, emerge into a post covid world? The most striking thing we have learnt over the last 15 months or so is that across the planet, individuals want the same things. Of course there are variations in local conditions but essentially, because of this commonality of end user demand, there are certain trends that apply everywhere. Many of these were underway BC, before Covid, but many are a result of the new zeitgeist that is developing as a consequence of the virus. In evolutionary biology there is a theory called ‘punctuated equili ..read more

We see the current climate as ‘yoyoing’ between working in the office and remotely, all dependent on something largely out of our control. So how can businesses build the necessary resilience to overcome these challenges and come out the other side stronger and more successful? Heidi Dening, a resilience expert shared some valuable insights on workplace resilience – what it is and why it is important in the current working conditions. She also provided practical strategies on how to build resilient teams and explored what to focus on when designing the office to support workplace resilience ..read more

Flexibility the key to the future Currently most offices are still largely traditional, with the tenant committing to a multi-year lease with limited options to expand or contract during the committed term. In the most mature markets flexible workspace represents up to 7% of total office stock. London is leading the charge on this front with 6.9% of all office space being consumed on a “As a Service” model, followed by Amsterdam (6.3%), San Francisco (4.7%) and New York city (4.5%). As a comparison Auckland sits at less than 2% with the entire flexible workspace supply of New Zealand represen ..read more

The revolution is here. As Covid restrictions start to ease around the world we are witnessing the emergence of two distinct school of thoughts amongst business leaders with regards to setting new management benchmark in the wake of the largest remote working experiment of all times. On the one hand we see leaders embracing the flexibility their staff have been longing for so long and on the other hand bosses of large corporations quoting “Working from home is an aberration”. In light of what seems like the death of the central business districts some top commercial property developers are urg ..read more

With remote working now the norm for many workers, employers are facing the challenge of how to encourage their employees to return to the office space that they still own or lease. But when everyone has a desk at home, how do you convince people to make the commute? While there’s much talk about ‘enticing’ people back to the office with incentives and perks, many of these short-term solutions fail to acknowledge that both the way we work and the role of the office have fundamentally changed. A new value proposition for office working is required, one that involves a rethink of the modern wor ..read more

As people begin returning and spending more time in the office, employers have to make sure that the physical workspace keeps everyone engaged and productive. They not only need to create a company culture that is safe and supportive but one that also aligns with the company’s purpose and values. In this blog post, we look at how you can design a workplace that effectively communicates your values to your team, clients and customers, and why this is important. How your workplace design can communicate company values? Company values are more important than ever—they set the tone for how employ ..read more

Workplace wellness and wellbeing isn’t a new trend. The wellbeing of employees is a topic that has been on the rise for years but has seen unprecedented acceleration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, most company workplace wellness approach had positively changed since the events of last year. So what do these changes look like in the new hybrid workplace and how will workplace wellbeing shape the future of work? Let’s explore. The hybrid workplace A research has found that 61 percent of the people want flexibility in their work arrangements, with a combination of working from home and w ..read more

In recent years, flexible work arrangements have been increasingly sought by most workforce. However, it hasn’t been until the current COVID-19 crisis that many organisations have stumbled upon the overriding benefits of working from home. As a result, and also because people will not soon forget the potentially dangerous impact of personal contact, futurists are predicting that when quarantine ends, remote working will continue for many. How to set up a home office Setting up an ergonomic home working environment is harder than it sounds. While stock imagery frequently features bespectacled ..read more

It’s 2021, and the office’s role has changed. COVID-19 has accelerated the future of work and quickly evolved the way office spaces need to function. Workspaces are feeling more like safe, homely spaces, enticing employees back into the office environment. Naturally, this sees some interesting trends emerge in workplace design: greenery and green credentials are increasingly important, designs are incorporating virtual connections more than ever before, the unpredictable environment is driving flexible, agile spaces that are ready for anything. Let’s explore what these 2021 workspace design t ..read more