How Flexible Workspaces is Revolutionizing the Way People Work

3/21/2022 | By Marella Gimenez

With the pandemic showing no signs of being gone, flexible workspaces, although present for a considerable amount of time, are finally receiving the long-overdue attention, recognition, and spotlight they deserve. This situation, however unfortunate to many, has become a pivotal point in the evolution of the office and workspace concepts.

Work, despite how complex the situation appears to be, still needs to carry on. Far from the traditional office setup prior to the pandemic, the flexible work setup has been introduced. And with that, company employees and workers have realized that eligibly and effectively finishing work even outside the walls of their conventional office is, indeed, possible.

This has provided them with a legitimate work and life balance. Hence, even if the pandemic goes away soon, few people would want to return to the ‘old normal’ of work. This is why flexible workspaces are thus what companies and business owners exactly need to transition to what is now known as the ‘new normal.

The kind of flexibility and productivity that this set-up offers allowed companies, entrepreneurs, workers, especially start-ups, freelancers, and digital nomads to function whenever, wherever, and however they want.

Unlike the conventional office spaces before, flexible workspaces offer both the functionality and comfort that workers have now become accustomed to. They enjoy the perks of working quietly or collaboratively, which are the top par benefits of flexible workspaces.

Need not worry about the office space setup that best suits you because flexible workspaces offer a wide array of set-ups that can be easily converted to cater to what you exactly needed. Flexible workspaces are designed to meet many, if not all, workers' specific needs.

A Guide About Different Workspaces and Their Types

Hot Desks

Best for individual workers and employees who do not have permanent workstations, hot desks are made available as needed. They are strategically located across the workspace and are utilized to provide support to these workers.

Aside from them, in-house staff and even visitors are also welcome to use hot desks.

Open Space

As opposed to the usual cubicle or closed-door private office, an open space concept allows workers to work in an open working space where they see each other at a glance. Gone are the walls that prohibit them from socializing. Hence, the collaboration of ideas and interactive communication is made easy.

While this setting has been shown to encourage and maximize creativity, this kind of setup is disadvantageous to those who prefer to work alone or in a quiet environment. Because it is an open space setup, ambient noise is also almost inevitable. There is a lack of privacy, too, as your every move is made visible to many, especially to your bosses.

Consequently, for the latter, an open office space setup is advantageous because they get to monitor and supervise their workers. This drives the employees to devote full attention to their work, giving them renewed motivation and thus getting the work done.

• The Best Part: Socializing
• The Worst Part: Lack of privacy

Private Offices

Private office spaces are ideal for people who function better in a quiet and isolated environment, away from others. These are the quiet areas where interruptions are strictly prohibited to encourage focus and better productivity. Not much interaction takes place and you enjoy a quiet space on your own.

When the type of work you are dealing with requires confidentiality and privacy, then private offices are made available.

• The Best Part: High level of privacy
  The Worst Part: Not much interaction with colleagues

Cubicles

The most common office-setup pre-pandemic, cubicles are a compromise between the benefits and drawbacks of an open space setting and a private office.

They can both enjoy the privacy they needed with the three walls that separate them from their colleagues. But, these barriers can easily be overcome if they want increased interaction with their colleagues with just standing or taking a few walks.

They have the liberty to enjoy their own space, which employees usually decorate and customize with pillows and framed photographs. But, they are not limited to their own because they can easily communicate with other employees.

• The Best Part: Able to have your own space
• The Worst Part: Limited privacy

Coworking Space

Another office setup that is recently introduced to many coworking spaces allows people from different fields of business to function together or cohabitate. It is mostly accessible at all hours of all days of the week, offering them complete flexibility in terms of when they want to work.

This setup is popular among remote workers, digital nomads, and freelancers who take control over the time they spend working. Diversity is very much seen in this kind of workspace setup.

As such, among the many providers of Coworking Spaces that stood out are those from KMC. They have a wide and diverse array of coworking spaces available in different locations around Metro Manila such as in BGC, Makati City, and Quezon City.

• The Best Part: Diversity
• The Worst Part: Not suitable for large business

What ensures workspace flexibility?

Furniture

Ensuring that the pieces in the office are high-functioning and encourage productivity is critical in a flexible work setting. This furniture should be high-functioning and conducive to mobility. It is not simply throwing a chair and desk at every open space available.

It is providing pieces such as rolling chairs, standing desks, and other furniture options in the quality that caters best to the employees' needs and comfort.

Architecture

Design and office layout is another big factor in imposing and encouraging flexibility in a workplace. Not only should architecture support functionality, such as having large and small collaborative spaces, but it should also inspire creativity. It should also be built for comfort which includes having to allow plenty of light and depth.

Furthermore, another architectural must-have that was given light recently is safety. Given the pandemic, office designs should also cater to the safety needs of the employees and workers. This does not only allow them productivity but also peace of mind and well-being.

Control

Especially on office space layouts, control and governance are a must-have in a flexible setting. As much as this setup encourages collaboration, it can also easily stipulate chaos and unsolicited noise.

Hence, it is necessary to establish rules that would maintain peace and organization of the space. These could be rules to ensure the smooth running of the workspace which would benefit everyone’s productivity without hurting their freedom to communicate and collaborate.

Technology

The smooth function of the computers, televisions, AV carts, device chargers, and other equipment should be the least of the worries of the employees and workers. To ensure maximum productivity and less downtime, power, and any other pieces of equipment should be secured.

Any malfunction on this equipment, on the amenities, or of anything else that workers should have smooth access to would impact negatively on the workflow.

Agility

Without agility, flexibility cannot be established. Everything in a flexible workspace should be fast and quick transforming. That is, when one worker gets out, another one with completely different needs comes in. And regardless of how diverse this employee is from the other, a flexible workplace must be able to cater to this worker’s office needs the moment they get in.

Thus, flexible workspaces should be easy to alter or turn back to baseline in case the next occupant sets a completely different set of expectations and need for work.

Roles of Flexible Workspaces That Revolutionize The Way People Work

Ability to expand or shrink operations easily at a fraction of the cost.
Unlike traditional office spaces, which require you to pay for practically everything even if you rarely use them, flexible workspaces allow you to pay only for the space that you needed.

There is no problem in expanding or downsizing the office space you needed. In a flexible setting, it is beyond reach within budget.

Ready access to all necessary work equipment.
This benefit works magic, especially for freelancers and start-up companies. Flexible workspaces allow them easy access to the tools and even the latest pieces of equipment and furniture that they needed to work and function.

Need not worry about having a stable and high-speed internet, having an office desk and chair that provides comfort and focus, or other technologies and amenities that you needed so as to achieve productivity because they are all provided and within reach in a flexible office space.

Opportunities to personalize and incorporate your branding in a flexible workspace are minimal.
This is an inevitable truth as a result of the adjustment period required for employees to adapt to their new, more flexible workspace. However, the good news is they need not force themselves to be comfortable in a single office area.

Workers always have the option to change their office setup and see what office space works, suits, and benefits them the most.

Because leasing terms are flexible, you don’t need to be present in the office daily.
Now more than ever, many workers have appreciated and placed high importance on their work-life balance. Flexible workspaces allow them to work wherever, whenever, and however, they want to work.

They need not be present eight hours, five days a week in their workspace. They have the freedom to set up the office hours that suit them best and incorporate them into the days they wish to meet with their desk in a flexible workspace.

Flexible Workspace is The New Norm

With workers preferring the convenience and flexibility that working remotely has introduced to them, the chance of returning to the traditional office setup is slim to none. Even if the pandemic goes away, employers will find it difficult to reintroduce the traditional or pre-pandemic workplace setup.

What’s left to them is to adapt and respond to the demands of these workers and employees by allowing them continuous access to the ideal work-life balance. And flexible workspaces are giving them a favor for getting the job done for them.

With flexible workspaces, they need not worry about keeping workers productive while also ensuring that comfort is provided. Since mental health awareness has also taken a toll, flexible workspaces also guarantee them peace and happiness. Thus, flexible workspaces, in a nutshell, do revolutionize the way people work.

Hence, for business owners, now is the time to embrace this revolutionized office setup. As such, KMC offers high-quality virtual tours of their flexible office spaces in different locations such as in Makati City. Through virtual tours, KMC gives their viewers and potential clients a better and more immersive view of their revolutionary flexible workspaces.

KMC is committed to providing only the best customer service out there, keeping in mind the unique and individual needs and preferences of the employees and business owners who avail their services. They are among the most trusted in providing the best spaces, whether it be private or collaborative, in the most premier of locations around the country.

Know more about our services at KMC and we are sure to help and assist you in finding the most suitable office space based on your need and comfort.