The overall idea of workspace has witnessed constant and dynamic changes for quite some time. However, the post pandemic era has provided an opportunity for enterprises to rethink the measures that they could develop a productive environment for employees. Enterprises are now seeking to obtain a workspace which is employee centric. Based upon the excepts provided by industry experts, managed office space is expected to become the default standard for a workspace. Going forward it is essential to discuss the advantages of flexible workspace.
Managed office space is for all scales of business
It is a common misconception the shared office spaces in India are limited to emerging startups and freelancer. However even large and medium sized companies for all sectors and domain view flexible workspace as an alternative to the traditional office space. Enterprises are focusing on core business operations to enable employee work productively and there is ample space for growth, in the meantime they are seeking options to outsource the administrative and facility-based management activities in the office space. The platforms for flex offices enable business to customize the workspace that resonates their values and ethos. Based on the survey conducted by CBRE, it was found that around 55% of corporates have leased flexible office space in FY 2022-2023 and there has been a growing preference of managed workspace solutions.
Importance of Amenities in flexible workspace
An office space may need to look simple, but it should contain all the essential tools and features to make it a suitable work environment. When looking for office, business entities seek amenities that ensure convenience to the workforce. This would lead to higher productivity and work life balance for employees. Conference room with video call capabilities, high speed Wi-Fi, Quiet Zones and Private Pods, Community and Networking Events, Comfortable Workstations and Refreshment Areas are some of the essential arrangements present in a flexible workspace. Enterprises have the advantage of equipping the office with the facilities based upon the business requirements.
Ensuring well-being of employees
Besides performance these amenities can also ensure wellbeing of employees. In the post pandemic era employees tend to become anxious while working on an environment where they could be vulnerable to cross contamination. The employee can use the in-house mobile applications of the managed office spaces to control the environment and order essential commodities and services related to work ensuring contactless services, thus minimizing the health risks.
Sustainable business activities
Setting up an office space is a long-term investment for any enterprise. Likewise, the business entities conduct research prior to finalizing a workspace. However recent trends have indicated that the shared office spaces in India serves as default choice for businesses. The role of such workspaces serves as a determinant as enterprises now prioritise the fluidity of the workforce. The constant evolving economy and dynamic market space leads to businesses planning for the future. The flexible workspace provides the option for the business to customize the workspace by addition of amenities and features concurrently with the growth. This aspect was missing in the traditional offices because of which the enterprises had to refurbish regularly. But with the managed offices these concerns are now a thing of the past.
Networking and collaboration
In a globalized corporate environment, the success of businesses of different domains are intertwined with each other. This symbiotic relationship between enterprises is expected to grow significantly. Therefore, businesses need to gain relevant contacts that are essential for their growth and success. The shared office space in India regularly is the host of various cross functional event where different enterprises are participants. The event comprises interactive activities and games that provide ample opportunities for professionals of different domains to know each other. Hence, it would be likely that like-minded individuals would collaborate for future projects and business interests.
Conclusion
The future of office space in India is all set for revolutionary transformation that would be driven by flexibility and efficiency. The developing work patterns and increasing demands for a robust environment for the workforce have led to reshaping the entire idea of office space. Business entities need to embrace these trends and address the associated challenges involved. Furthermore, obtaining a productive work environment would remain a top priority. For such challenges the managed office space is expected to resolve all such challenges and requirements. Hence it can be comfortably said that enterprises that operate with flexible workspace are expected to succeed in years to come.
From the economy point of view India is emerging as the shining example of growth and development. Hence it would not be any surprise to see established multinational corporations seeking to expand their business operations in India via leasing office space in India. Therefore, the flexible office spaces would play a major role in fostering creativity and growth in the rapidly growing Indian economy.
