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5 minutes
Role of the office in a flexible workplace
Explore how leading organizations are supporting today’s hybrid workforce by shifting from traditional office setups to flexible environments that prioritize employee experience and space efficiency. Learn how smart design, technology, and strategy come together to create workplaces that truly work.
Table of contents
Rethinking the workplace, adapting to the future of work
Workplace norms have evolved significantly, with flexibility becoming central to how we work. Before 2020, the office was an unquestioned part of daily life, but the pandemic forced organizations to rethink this model. This whitepaper, created in partnership with Plat4mation, ServiceNow, and Avison Young, examines how companies are adapting office space, design, and strategies to meet the needs of today’s hybrid workforce.
The need for workspace optimization
Before the pandemic, around 50% of office seats sat empty, highlighting a big opportunity to cut unnecessary costs and redesign workplaces for today’s needs.
As companies settled into a post-pandemic rhythm, one key challenge remained: understanding how employees were using office space. According to insights from Avison Young, employees generally fall into three distinct categories based on their workstyles:
- Every day on site – Employees who want or need to be at the office every day.
- 100% remote – Off-shore employees or employees who can’t or don’t need to come to the office.
- Hybrid/flexible – Employees who work from the office a few times a week and rest remotely.
Recognizing that each employee has different needs is crucial to designing an effective workplace. The solution lies in creating flexible, adaptable spaces that evolve with changing demands.
Companies that invest in improving the employee experience see up to 4x increases in profitability, functionality, and engagement. A thoughtfully designed office doesn’t just save money, but it improves the employee experience.
Different kinds of office spaces
Companies are moving away from traditional offices and embracing activity-based work environments, designed to let employees choose where and how they work. Whether it’s for meetings or casual conversations, these flexible areas create a more engaging experience.
- Individual spaces – The areas designed for focused tasks, such as workstations, phone rooms, and private offices.
- Collaboration spaces – These include enclosed meeting rooms and open collaboration spaces which foster teamwork and brainstorming.
- Social spaces – These include various seating options and power connections trough informal soft seating or lounge areas which facilitate casual interaction.
A well-designed workplace balances individual, collaboration, and social spaces to support diverse work styles and increase engagement. For example, comfort features like ergonomic seating and natural light enhance well-being and productivity, making employees happier and more connected to the workplace.
Planning how many seats a workplace needs has become more challenging in recent years, making flexibility more important than ever. In today’s competitive job market, an appealing workspace not only attracts top talent but also fosters innovation and long-term success.
Monitoring usage
It’s not about overbuilding seats or space—it’s about using what’s available in a smart way. Since technology alone isn’t perfect, change management is key to helping employees make the most of their office space.
To optimize space, companies are using technology to monitor usage. Some rely on card readers linked to HR data, while others use reservation systems to track presence and activity. More advanced setups use sensors and heatmaps to uncover patterns in how spaces are used. However, many organizations still are in the early stages of adoption.
In the absence of such tools, some companies use an assigned-day methodology, allowing spaces to serve both private work areas and collaborative zones.
Facilitating flexible work environments
Now that one desk per person isn’t always needed, what do companies do with the extra space?
It really depends on the company’s goals, how people work, and what employees need to be successful. The key is making sure the office works, supporting both in-person and virtual collaboration. Expectations have changed, so here are a few tips to help you meet them:
- Holistic Processes and Amenities – Ensure all the right processes and steps are working including amenities.
- In-depth Implementation – Understand the different roles and responsibilities within an organization when introducing a new system or software.
- Smart investments – Invest in change management and educate people about flexibility and various ways of working.
Office spaces aren’t just physical locations anymore; they’ve become strategic tools that directly influence a company’s success. The graph above highlights how priorities are shifting, with more investment going into improving the employee experience.
The future of office spaces
In the war for talent, your workspace really matters. The old idea of a boring office just doesn’t work anymore. How you design and use your space can either help your team do well or make things harder. Here are five things to think about when designing your office:
- Innovation and productivity – A well-designed workspace that has the power to inspire employees and boost their creativity.
- IESG, health and wellness – Good work requires a fit mind and body. So, invest in facilities that improve their wellbeing.
- Diversity and inclusion – Embracing gender, cultural and technical diversity facilitates better ideas and promotes inclusivity.
- Flexibility of choice – Give your employees freedom to choose between virtual or in office experience.
- Seamless technology – Erasing the boundary between home and office experiences is an essential goal in today’s tech-driven world.
Flexible working has changed the way we think about and use office space. By using different approaches, relying on data, and focusing on smart design, companies can create workplaces that meet the diverse needs of their employees.