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According to Parella, 15 to 25% is the average range of space savings generally observed after a switch to Flex office. However, it's important to make the right decisions later on about how to reuse these square meters. In some cases, it may be preferable to move to a different building to save money; in others, it may be preferable to rent space or reorganize. Everyone needs to find their own recipe, but all companies will benefit in the long term. Flex office means challenging your company and your organization - it's a real challenge!
What does flex office mean for companies?
Flex office refers to not having a dedicated office. We can imagine spaces adapted to employees' needs. Employees can work in an office, at home, in a café, a meeting room or a coworking space, according to their desires, in a hybrid work mode.
Already very popular in the UK, the flex office seems to be catching on in France. This corporate trend seems to appeal to the French. This is already the case for Crédit Agricole, Renault and La Banque Postale, for example. You can consult our customer referencesIt will give you an idea of the organizational changes taking place at some of the major accounts you're probably familiar with.
What are the main advantages of flex office?
- More freedom: The flex office lets you reserve an office wherever you want. An employee can work in an open space in the morning and in a closed office in the afternoon. This stimulates workers and offers them different working environments. They can choose the space that suits their current needs: concentration or collaboration. The result is a more fluidoccupation of space. The flex office linked to telecommuting gives employees even greater flexibility in terms of where they work.
- Cost reduction: according to Ludovic Legendre, Partner "People & Transformation" at Parella - MRICS, flex office, linked to hybrid working, will reduce office space by 20 to 40% . Overall, the number of employees on site will vary, but will often free up a floor, or even a building in the most striking cases. Such is the benefit that it will be possible to rent space or move to smaller, more suitable offices. Property management becomes simpler thanks to the analysis of occupancy flows. Real estate costs are automatically reduced.
" Switching to flex won't make money right away. But in the medium term, yes, there are real savings. We can do a project that will have a return on investment over twelve months," explains Ludovic Legendre.
- Collaborative working: the move to flex encourages collaborative working. Teams meet more easily. They exchange information face-to-face, rather than by e-mail. We can also observe better inter-departmental communication and, as a result, a stronger corporate culture. Collaboration is optimized.
- Change the routine: the flex office breaks work routines. Days are usually a source of weariness, especially for the younger generation. By reserving your office according to your tasks or the people with whom you need to collaborate, your days are more dynamic. This improves the employee's quality of life at work. Employees can also better manage their working time.
- Greater productivity: by being mobile, employees can organize themselves as they wish. If they need to concentrate, they can isolate themselves in a quiet space. If they need to make calls, they can use a phone booth. All in all, this will improve theemployee experience and thus promote balance and well-being. The operated office or flex office will enable employees to excel, without a dedicated desk.
Employee communication is key
Any company can succeed with its flex office policy if it is well organized and prepared. To avoid the disadvantages, you need to draw up a long-term plan with clear internal communication. This will enable your flexible organization to be effective.
To make the switch to flex office, your offices need to be adapted to flex office. The working environment must be conducive to flex office. It may be necessary to rethink the layout of the office to encourage a 30-70 balance: 70% individual or open space and 30% collaborative space.
Communicate with your employees. For some people, regularly changing offices is synonymous with depersonalization. In fact, it becomes complicated to appropriate one's "territory", by putting photos of loved ones on one's workstation, for example. So you need to find a compromise with your employees.
According to the Parella Barometer conducted in 2021dedicated to new ways of working, one company in three is already using a flex office, and 40% are thinking about it. Don't hesitate to take the plunge into new working models- you won't regret it. Try flex office andyou 'll never go back.
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