Following the rapid shift to remote working in 2020, workers have been given the opportunity to address their wellbeing and work/life balance more than ever before, so the post-Covid office is changing. Organisations have been forced to adapt to these new changes in more ways than one; a more flexible approach to office-based work has largely been implemented with a firm focus on employee job satisfaction.
Within the corporate world, if the Covid pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the evolution of technology enables an organisation a much more flexible approach to the location of its workforce. The ‘hub and spoke’ model refers to a corporate structure that, according to a study by Robert Walters Recruitment, is a current and intended option for 37% of business leaders within the UK and Ireland. It comprises a central office ‘hub’ with additional decentralised, satellite ‘spoke’ offices closer to where employees live. In contrast to the main headquarters of old, where every team member from CEO to entry-level staff was located within a single building, this fast-growing approach enables employees to work flexibly from dedicated regional and local office spaces.
The hub and spoke model provides numerous opportunities for your business, and cost-saving is a significant factor. By implementing local offices, you can downsize your current central location due to a reduction in the centralised workforce. Less square footage equates to lower overheads including rent, expenses and business rates, so your financial team are likely to approve. In the last two years, there has been an increase in co-work spaces, ranging from a whole floor availability to simply renting a desk. These fully functional offices offer short-term license agreements and carry much lower risk, ideal for a rapid-changing office environment.
With workers suitably accustomed to a new, flexible approach to work, they have come to favour a more autonomous balance of office and remote-based work. Localised offices will enable staff to make shorter, more comfortable journeys to a dedicated and fully equipped office, thus allowing them more personal time. Your loyalty and employee focus will lead to improved wellbeing which, in turn, will increase business productivity and help to forge a strong sense of loyalty within your teams. Should you choose to look at the bigger picture, you might even want to consider the reduction in your organisation’s carbon footprint as a result.
Workspace mobility will ensure that you retain and attract the best talent from across the country. Many opportunities can be lost with centralised offices as employees battle with the balance of excessive commuting and their career aspirations. By providing access to localised workspaces that allow them to remain connected with your business you can rest assured that not only will you hold onto your best workers but will continue to attract the best new talent into your organisation. There is also a greater incentive for growth, it has been suggested that a dispersed workforce can result in greater employee engagement and more expansive commercial networks. Your workforce will organically meet and engage with a much wider range of individuals and businesses that may have been previously geographically out of reach, leaving you abounding with opportunity.
If you are looking to upgrade your workspace model and would like to know more about how ‘hub and spoke’ could benefit your business, it is the perfect time to discuss putting plans into action. Contact Zentura today to start your journey.
