What does flex office mean for companies?
The flex office simply means not having your own dedicated office. We can imagine spaces adapted to employees' needs. They can work in an office, at home, in a café, a meeting room or a coworking space. coworking space. The practice of flex office began in France in the 1990s, under the name of timeshare office. And it began at Andersen Consulting for employees frequently on the road with clients.
Before the health crisis, the flex office was not very widespread, or was used without being named as such for jobs requiring regular travel. Today, flex office is widespread and brings a great deal of flexibility to teams andattractiveness to companies.
Already very popular in the UK, the flex office is making great strides in France. France. This is already the case for Crédit Agricole, Renault and La Banque Postale. You can visit our customer referencesIt will give you an idea of the organizational changes that have taken place at some of our key accounts. (link to internal article 1)
According to Parella, 15 to 25%... that's the average range of floor 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 change offices to save money, while in other cases, it may be better to rent space or reorganize. Everyone needs to find their own recipe, but all companies will benefit in the long term.
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The genesis of the flex office: how did we come to change the way we work?
The health crisis related to the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on employers and employees in France. France and around the world. It has led to a massive change in working practicesparticularly with regard to workspaces. Companies have been forced to implement remote working solutions to protect the health and comply with health regulations.
The flex office, which maximizes maximize the use of workspace and work flexibly has become even more relevant in times of crisis. Companies have had to adapt quickly to changing changing needs in terms of remote working and social distancing. The flex office has enabled them to do so effectively. The flexible workspaces have enabled employers to limit contamination risks and adapt their workspaces to their staff.
The challenges of flex office 2023 :
The flex office presents several challenges for employers and employees, including:
- Collaboration and communication Collaboration and communication: it can be more difficult to share information when employees work in different workspaces or at different times.
- Managing productivity It can be more difficult to manage and maintain employee productivity when working remotely.
- Work-life balance Flex office can lead to greater flexibility flexibility, but it can also make it harder to separate work and personal life.
- Data security It can be more difficult to guarantee data security when employees are teleworking or using external Wifi, for example in cafés.
- Quality of life at work Quality of life at work: this can improve with flexibility in terms of where employees work. But it can also deteriorate with a sense of isolation for example, or a corporate culture culture.
- Cost managementEmployers must also manage the costs related maintenance andflexible workspaces. These include equipment and technology costs, energy costs and cleaning cleaning costs.
It is therefore important that employers and employees work together to overcome these challenges. challenges and make the most of the flex office. This can include putting in place effective policies and practices to manage these issues, as well as training andeducation for employees to adapt to this new way of working.
What are the main advantages of flex office?
More freedom: flex office means you can reserve an office wherever you want. An employee can work in 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. Cost reduction: Thomas Kessler, CEO and founder of Locatee, gives an interesting an interesting example of a 100-person office. If 5 people come in on Mondays and Fridays, then 30 employees are in the office on Wednesdays. The occupancy rate for these 3 days is less than 15%, but the maximum occupancy rate is 30%. You can read the whole interview right here. (https://www.pme.ch/strategie/2022/03/31/voici-a-quoi-ressemblera-le-bureau-du-futur) As a result, you can save of 20 to 30% on real estate charges.
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.
Change the routine: flex office breaks routine at work. Days are usually a source of weariness, especially for the younger new generations. By reserving my desk according to my tasks or the people I need to work with, I can make my days more dynamic. This improves quality of life quality of life.
Greater productivity Being mobile, employees can organize themselves as they wish. If they need to concentrate, they can isolate themselves in a meeting room.
If he needs to make calls, he can use a phone box. Generally speaking, this will improve the human experience and therefore promotes balance for employees.
What are the main disadvantages of the flex office?
- Organization It's essential to be well organized to avoid unpleasant surprises, such as no space in the office or no Wi-Fi in your chosen café. This can be a real time-waster.
- Depersonalized offices In flex office, it's impossible to make an office your own. No more family photos or drawings of your children, because you can't leave your belongings behind. A feeling of depersonalization can set in among employees. This can be compensated for with decoration or plants.
- Communication Communication: communication with colleagues or within the same department can become more difficult as a result of this new organization. The sense of belonging may also be affected.
- Not respecting the flexdeskwhen companies provide fewer workstations fewer workstations than they have employeesThis is known as a flex desk. This can lead to organizational problems and conflicts between colleagues. Everyone wants to keep his or her own workstation, and this can have a negative impact on theatmosphere in the company.
Employee communication is key
A flex office strategy is possible for any company if it is well organized. To achieve this, it is necessary to draw up a long-term long-term with internal communication.
To switch to flex office, you need to adapt your offices to flex office. Sometimes it's necessary to rethink the layout of the office to encourage a 30-70 split. 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's hard to feel at home in your own "territoryfor example, by putting photos of your loved ones on your workstation. So you have to find a compromise with your employees.
Relationships trust and clear clear communication with managers and top management will help limit negative impacts such as the "the "canteen effect or lost employees. Indeed, employees may fight for their favorite seat, or even feel isolated and victims of change.
The importance of management in a flex office policy
Like a hybrid work policyflex office requires particular attention in the management. Managers are the leaders of changeThey show the way and translate the regulatory framework. This is why HR and senior management must keep managers properly informed and trained for this transition. They are the key to the success of the flex office model. They're the ones who need to get the feeling, toto listen and available to answer any questions.
Employees may feel lost, unmoored or unhappy. Each employee has his or her own feelings and reactions to the challenge. Some may think it's a new organization imposed for financial reasons. It's important to put thehuman at the heart of the approach to raise employee awareness. Managers are also in charge of internal communication and a plan must be drawn up. Employees need to be kept abreast of changes in the way the company works, and the pulse needs to be checked regularly.