What is changing?
Traditionally, a location strategy would look at how a company’s offices and workspaces enable it to deliver its strategic objectives.
This generally meant reviewing the suitability of these spaces for fostering productivity, creativity, and employee wellbeing. It might also include assessing new cities or sites to improve access to talent.
However, the pandemic has forced companies to re-evaluate not only how we work, but where we work. Do we need the same locations and workspaces when we have been able to work remotely for the past 18 months?
How will this impact you?
This will impact your organisation’s location considerations in three main ways
- With the trend for remote working expected to continue, you may need less space: The majority of companies we’ve spoken to have said that their employees want to work remotely more frequently than they did pre-COVID. Most have demonstrated that they can work productively – supported by the right technology – and have enjoyed the benefits of a greater work-life balance as a result. Flexible working, a trend that was slowly picking up momentum, is likely to become the norm. Therefore, less space may be required, which will mean less money spent on offices.
- The purpose of your office may change: If staff are only occasionally using offices, then there is an opportunity to define what purpose they serve, and to look at the strategic objectives they should support. Most agree that they will continue to be important places to train junior staff, to foster creativity, to set objectives and to manage performance. Identifying the reasons for having an office will help to define the size and location of your workspace.
- Technology will be critical for any fundamental change to your location strategy: With more teams splitting time between home and the office, it’s important that they have the technology to support a hybrid way of working. Will meeting rooms become Zoom or Teams-enabled, allowing people to seamlessly interact whether working remotely or in office? Is the IT kit at home comparable to the one in the office in terms of usability and spec? If not, a two-tier workforce may not work for you.