Workplaces, towards changing needs?

After the pandemic, employees are returning to their workplaces. The last few months have changed everyone’s work habits somewhat, especially in terms of organization. In companies, the implementation of teleworking has marked the beginning of a whole new rhythm, combining physical and remote work. These profound changes raise new questions, new challenges for communities and businesses. The objective of these changes is in particular to adapt to the expectations of employees.

Very different workplaces from before the pandemic

The pandemic has disrupted the lifestyles and work of companies and employees. The implementation of teleworking for all companies that could have changed many things in the daily lives of employees. No longer needing to travel, stay at home and work with digital tools to exercise remotely… An unprecedented pace that today causes considerable and lasting changes in the workplace.

Investors, developers and users discussed the issue at length with local stakeholders. Local authorities and CCIs then had the opportunity to discuss with them the factors of attractiveness, as well as the transformations to come. This questioning takes into account in particular the diversity of existing workplaces, managerial changes after the pandemic… But also the new needs and expectations of employees.

To better analyze the needs of companies in terms of their workplaces, Provence Promotion has launched an important project. Through the analysis of needs and new aspirations in terms of workplaces, Provence Promotion wants to find the right balance. To do so, it has associated about forty real estate directors in France with a test territory, covering Aix-Marseille Provence. The objective of this work? Draw up a more precise overview of the transformations underway on the working methods of companies and employees.

The issue of workplaces has undergone a significant evolution after the deployment of teleworking. Employees have become accustomed to working from home, or at least in a different setting than in a conventional workplace such as an office in a company. Since returning to work, employees have adopted a more hybrid rhythm, combining work in the office and work from home.

Company colleagues meeting
The offices of tomorrow will be opened to promote exchanges.

Abandon the premises to turn to coworking

Many companies have chosen during the pandemic to separate from their offices. This is for economic reasons, or for logistical reasons. With the change of pace, many leaders want to invest in smaller spaces, especially to promote phygital. This allows each employee to work at home and on site, especially for meetings and collaborative missions.

Companies then turn to new workplaces. Smaller offices, designed more for social connection and interaction, rather than large open spaces or individual offices. These spaces further promote productivity, come together to exchange more easily between employees, and to resume a more normal rhythm in a suitable workplace.

However, smaller companies choose to fully return their premises to better absorb their costs and continue to operate… But in more flexible workplaces. This is particularly the case for coworkings. These are workspaces shared by several companies or employees who freely reserve spaces according to the chosen duration.

This makes it possible to provide a more adapted working environment according to the size and activity of the companies. Before, coworkings were rather popular with independent entrepreneurs, especially in the digital sector… But today, the place is made for nomadic employees, or even nomadic teams belonging to the same company. So much so that these workplaces are even renamed “Corpworking” or “Proworking”. This helps to counterbalance the rigidity of traditional commercial leases.

Companies want to permanently change the relationship between employees and their workplaces. Promote remote work, while remaining close to means of transport to meet… This makes it possible to put back at the heart of the teams a real corporate culture and to promote collaborative work… A workplace revolution after the pandemic.

Sources:

Real estate directors and territorial development actors publish a common outlook on the future of workplaces. Press release from Provence Promotion published on September 21, 2021

Support in corporate real estate search Aix-Marseille-Provence Investin Provence

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