Corporate culture and amenity provision key to return to office

Increased levels of uncertainty due to factors such as energy price inflation and the varying extent of the post-covid return to the office, is driving the increase in demand for flex office space according to Hubert Abt, CEO, New Work Offices.

Abt points out that no sector has been immune and the return to the office has been determined by push factors, such as people’s reluctance to continue working from small apartments, to pull factors that draw staff back to the office.

That can include local amenities, transport access and importantly, a company’s own culture Abt said and unless an employer’s culture emphasises meeting to socialise and collaborate there may be a problem.

How the office is designed is secondary, Abt told Real Asset Insight’s Richard Betts. Amenities are a higher priority. “The office and the HQ will be chosen because of the cinema next door, or the gym next door or the restaurant, so that’s a big part of bringing people back to the office.”

Companies each have a different approach to hybrid office working that includes a mix of working from home and from an office. Abt said that demand for the kind of tools that his company provides varies with the size of the company Very large ones have often developed their own solutions while small firms tend to be in the office five days per week anyway. “But the medium companies are quite grateful for such support, be it in multi-location access, be it software support or space management tools.”

Landlords need to regularly reassess their clients’ needs and not just when it comes to renewing the lease, Abt explained.

Click on the video to watch the full interview or listen to the podcast below.

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