Meeting rooms the top facility for flex office occupiers, but…
This is according to research by flexible office specialist Workthere, analysed as part of Savills Impacts programme. However, beyond this, there is some disparity between flex occupiers in different regions: while occupiers in Europe, Asia Pacific and UK all rate the provision of phone booths and collaboration spaces highly, these features are deemed less important by occupiers in North America.
Evolving work patterns and employee expectations are shaping what corporates demand from flex office space, says Savills, with hybrid working models, coupled with rising expectations of having more choice and higher quality services in the workplace, mean providers must now offer environments that support collaboration and wellbeing.
In Asia Pacific and Europe, including the UK, sustainability credentials are highly rated, with the majority of occupiers in these regions saying these are important or very important.
“Across Europe, its key that flex spaces have sustainability credentials”,according to Cal Lee, global head of Workthere. “This is evident in demand for everything from low-carbon building credentials to everyday, practical measures that make greener travel feasible. End-of-trip facilities such as secure bike storage, lockers and showers are also consistently valued by occupiers and can materially influence tenant choice and willingness to pay – for occupiers these features are as much about talent attraction and retention as they are about net zero commitments.”
In North America, half of operators reported members were neutral about sustainability features, with car parking and gyms ranked higher than anywhere else globally.
Sarah Brook, associate director, Savills World Research comments: “As the member profile of flex offices has diversified, the range of solutions from both specialist operators and landlords has expanded, from fully serviced and managed offices to pass-based platforms, with the range of features available growing accordingly too. While there are some regional variations, overall it is clear that flex occupiers prioritise spaces that enable their members to meet and collaborate, reflecting modern working trends.”