Stop letting your workspace hold you back!
Interoffices
Flexible workspace options and meeting rooms suited to any budget and any working style.
A choice as simple as where to base your operations can have lasting impacts on your team and operations. Unfortunately, many companies are still struggling with barriers of unproductivity. Working from home and the perils associated with remote working policy have re-emphasised the need for collaborative spaces which help get the most from your valued employees. In fact, the space you occupy could be the element holding you back from reaching your own business potential. Having an understanding, alongside an up-to-date awareness of your staff experiences (especially how they are evolving), is necessary for making the correct choice when it comes to location. Taking advantage of modern workspace provisions is an important step towards achieving true efficiency and the productivity befitting of your efforts.
Therefore, in this article, we'll outline:
The challenges of the hybrid working environment
While not having to enter the typical 9-5 Monday to Friday office environment might be a relief to some, a suitable alternative needs to offset the challenges working from home may present. For example, Zippia reports that '19% of work-from-home employees placed “Isolation” as their #1 problem, with 70% feeling left out of their workplace'. Maximising efficiency is harder to achieve if satisfaction rates remain low and the link between the two is well established. Shaun Achor for The Harvard Business Review examines the so-called “Happiness Dividend” showcasing how positive workplace satisfaction increases sales by 37% and improves productivity by 31% on average. Alternatively, the performance of unhappy employees is 10% less productive than that of their content coworkers.
Lack of productivity and lower employee satisfaction rates can be significantly more pronounced at home, considering the trappings of domestic life. Put simply, annoyances can be quite difficult to ignore. It's not just the sketchy internet speeds you have to worry about, but interrupted calls from noise, the temptation of procrastination and more.
There is no one size fits all when working from home, and this fact can often be lost in the reporting of the #WFHlife. It's worth remembering that housing, especially in high density areas, may not present ideal conditions for maximum output. Forcing valued employees to work from their 20m2 apartments can be more of a hindrance, especially when they have to burden the added expense of heating their home. Moreover, certain industries simply don't allow for the much needed and necessary collaboration that office life provides, especially technological roles which require space and high spec everything.
Burnout as a source of demotivation
Efficiency, wellbeing, and output are inextricably linked to space utilisation. For an insight into the issue, let's look at the statistics. 2020 saw a record amount of workplace burnout reported worldwide due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Global Workplace Report found that 43% of respondents from more than 100 countries were facing burnout, this up from 39% in 2019.
Forbes highlight statistics around the effects of work-life balance on productivity, showing that companies who embrace flexibility can double their employee output. Multifunctional office space providers offer the best of both worlds in this regard, allowing for a relaxed setting that encourages productivity.
Versatile spaces offer meaningful solutions
Modern office spaces need to conform to changing expectations of the workforce by tackling the tenant and employee experience. The space you choose to call your HQ or main workplace should offset the aforementioned burnout. More often than not, companies are seeking versatile spaces that foster collaboration and productivity. With this comes the requirement for extra services beyond the conventional cubicle space. Break out spaces, meeting rooms on demand and multiple locations to save on commute time are increasingly important considerations when renting space.
The power of coworking workspaces
Startups flock to coworking spaces to foster innovation. Teams are able to solicit feedback and learn from others' experiences while still retaining a sense of agency and freedom. Refocusing and developing fresh solutions to company problems is improved by shared spaces in unique locations. For freelancers, this can be a game changer when separating work from the comfortable mentality of home. Different locations offer relief in this regard, alongside expansive networking opportunities and more inspiring locations than the home office or kitchen table could ever conjure.
Location, Location, Location!
The above saying rings true, location can be so incredibly valuable. So across Belgium, Interoffices has made this a focal point of our offering. Need an office space close to the EU? We've got you covered! Have a team of frequent fliers or international clients? Find a spot in our Zaventem location for easy access to Brussels Airport. Ensuring workspaces are well located is just one such employer consideration, helping you ensure adequate coverage and the offer of added value to your own employees. Cutting down the commute for your employees while giving them accessible practical spaces, may be a strong strategy you choose to pursue as part of your own competitive hiring offer.?
Take a look at our Brussels Expo location. Not only is it just minutes away from Brussels Expo & the world-famous Atomium, but both the Ossegempark, the acclaimed Chinese pavilion and Japanese tower are in proximity for those lunchtime walks. Housing the InQbet Campus, this is a perfect location for those emerging startups with problem-solving capabilities.
Design is intelligence made visible.
A perfect space doesn't end with location, particularly if you end up in an uninspiring location that hinders the efficiency of your operations. Across Interoffice's workspaces, we have strategically designed areas to inspire and motivate. The importance of workplace design is in making the workers comfortable. Comfortable furniture, adequate lighting both natural and supplementary or strategic use of colours, and ventilation all need to work harmoniously. A well-designed office promotes community, lowers sick days, and enhances productivity.
Consistency is the key to achieving consistent results.
Standardisation can be wrongly mistaken for duplication and lack of inspiration. We like to think of it as an integral culture when providing successful representation for leading businesses. Clients visiting your office, be that as a growing business or freelancer, prefer to be welcomed equally and efficiently. With that said, standardisation should be celebrated and sought out, and for good reason. Inconsistency can be more damaging than you think. Take for example high speed internet.?Connection is vital and needs to be stable and secure, as without a standard you can trust, you will be at the mercy of fluctuating connection speeds. It may sound rudimentary, but without the consistency of the simple things, the complexity of real business becomes difficult. If you need further explanation, explore how slow internet connections actually cost your company money. Expand this concept to hit or miss mail services, visitor management or cleaning. As standards for each are taken away, the ability to seamlessly excel at your core business declines.?
Our advice to those seeking a new space for operations is to find a provider who takes care of the little stuff, so you can focus all your energy on the important business at hand. Interoffices has built up professional reception services with our team happily taking care of your mail, welcoming your guests and managing your calls. Meeting room bookings are facilitated for you while catering management and access to printers, copiers, scan, fax and other stationary come as standard. Furthermore, our unique IT infrastructure with fibre optic connections can be adapted to every need of SMEs and multinational enterprises.?
Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage.
Inaction can be costly, and the longer companies delay in finding spaces that include the necessary elements of an efficient space, the longer output can be dictated by external but completely conditional factors within their control. Finding the correct location means working with local, trusted and well established providers. Corporates, SMEs & emerging startups have been choosing Interoffices as their workspace provider of choice for 8 years. We are proud to offer our services to industry leading and worldwide influential clients ranging from P&G and Qualcomm to the IAPP and European Commission.
We continue to offer our professional services ranging from completely furnished offices, conference rooms and workstations to registered business addresses and coworking spaces all on flexible terms in distinctive locations and unique settings. Explore our spaces or discover our products to find your complete workspace solution.