The Future Of Work - Will We Ever Return To A Traditional Office?

The global pandemic changed a lot of attitudes to the way we live and work and it certainly feels that even when things are showing signs of returning to a degree of normality, these changes have become embedded in our mindset.

Flexible working arrangements and spaces have become integral to the way many of us want to work these days. With excellent coworking management software in place to manage workers using a shared work environment, it is now easier than ever to enjoy flexible working.

With all of these flexible options at our disposal will we ever see a return to a traditional office?

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

Predictions For The Future

There is definitely a difference of opinion when it comes to predicting whether we will return to a more traditional office scenario over the next few years.

What seems to be the barrier to permanent change is the fact that some companies want their workers to return to how things were before and get everyone back into the office. However, as many of these workers have enjoyed a better work-life balance by working at home, there is a reluctance to return to the old way of working.

That makes predicting how companies will use their office space in the future quite challenging.

Finding A Suitable Compromise

It may be that the threat of huge skyscraper office blocks being virtually empty because people are working from home or using flexible coworking spaces is inhibiting the need for a change of attitude.

Not all workers want to work remotely, but not everyone wants to commute to work every day either. What seems likely to happen is that many companies will seek to find a suitable compromise that allows its workers to the office on a set number of days each week and work remotely and more flexibly the rest of the time.

Redesigning The Office Space

Another change that seems to have come about as a result of the pandemic is the need to create a more contactless working experience. Health and safety have become even more of a priority than ever before.

This is prompting a rethink on the design and layout of traditional office space. Forward-thinking companies are investing in new technologies that are helping to transform the modern workplace.

One example of this would be the use of voice-enabled technology so that workers can use the space and facilities in a more interactive way than would have been possible in a traditional office environment.

A More Digital Experience

Coworking setups have highlighted how staid and inflexible traditional office spaces have become and that is prompting a radical review of how best to create a more modern office experience. Providing staff with the digital tools to be able to access services, book meeting rooms, even parking space, will greatly enhance their attitude toward working in an office again.

The future of work would seem to be a very different landscape from how it was before everything changed. We probably won’t return to what you could call a traditional office environment as companies have started to realize that they need to provide a greater degree of flexibility and technology to keep workers happy in the future.