The recent ‘Marketplace for flexible work’ research conducted by The Instant Group and HLW, found that not only are users of co-working and flexible space rapidly growing in numbers, but those who are using it are also reaping the benefits in the form of greater work flexibility, expanding professional networks, business opportunities, higher levels of energy at work, innovation and a generally improved working environment.
Tim Rodber, CEO, The Instant Group, said, “The trend towards flexible working has dominated the headlines for some time now and operators of this space have been driving take up in the global cities for the past two years. More than half of our respondents envision spending less time going forward working from a traditional company office space, reflecting our sentiments that people desire far more flexibility and choice nowadays over how and where they work.”
The report analyzed the co-working and flexible workspace sector to gather a 360-degree perspective of the industry to determine where perspectives align and diverge among stakeholders. The research also found that location and the ability to assign or reassign employees to workspace on short notice were also important influencers when choosing flexible workspace over conventional office space.
Looking forward, the research found that more than half of the companies interviewed envisage spending less time working from a traditional company office space with an increase in the number of corporates looking for more flexible options.
- Flexible benefits 83% of users of co-working and other types of flex space claim to have benefited from these new work environments over the last 5-10 years. The majority (71%) of end-user’s report that their workspaces positively affect the ways they engage in their work.
- Long-term satisfaction Amenity provision is a key consideration when it comes to possible improvements in flexible workspaces, with nearly all respondents (89%) citing this would improve satisfaction, alongside innovations in workplace design and the quality of the social experience.
- Corporates are flexing Corporate clients are reaping the benefits of a more engaged workforce and the associated benefits of working in flexible workspaces.
- Methodology In 2017, The Instant Group partnered with HLW to conduct a study of over 300 respondents from the coworking and flexible work industry. Respondents completed a comprehensive questionnaire about their current perspectives of the market, the value they get from it, and how they see the market benefiting them in the future.
