Cushman & Wakefield - How You Work

32 / 36

32 How You Work: People, Places & Flexible Workspaces
A FLEXIBLE FUTURE
Today’s Flexible Office market is growing fast and its
pace can be attributed to a number of commercial and
cultural forces.
highlights broad
market penetration, showing that even companies
epitomising traditional corporate values have adopted
flexible working practices. In some cases the motivation
to change is determined by choice and in others, by a
necessity to compete for talent and margin in a highly
competitive, global market. The Flexible Office has
proven itself as an important real estate strategy for
startups and scale-ups seeking locality, community and
cost-saving. Equally, global giants Twitter at Factory
Berlin and Toshiba at Regus have all seen employee
satisfaction and productivity levels increase as a result
of flexibility, and have benefited from a simplified,
cost-effective solution to regional and international
expansion.
Looking forward we anticipate continued growth in
the Flexible Office market as incumbents expand their
network and opportunistic new entrants ‘pop-up’ in as
yet, unexplored cities and countries.
In the last few years, flexibility as a function has become increasingly
embedded in corporate strategy and urban development. Accessibility and
aesthetics of a workspace are critical aspects of design today, but control
and customisation are its future. Demands of the workplace have moved
beyond a strictly functional space into hubs where corporate values and
culture are ingrained, relationships are forged, skills are shared and ideas
are tested; the levels of intrapreneurship, creativity and wellbeing are
becoming more revealing barometers of success.