Although society as a whole has adopted remote working policies and seemingly ended the centralized office, this shift in the workforce means more than just working from home.
Although the office was once deemed as the necessary hub of collaboration and productivity, many experts are now claiming the end of the workspace. Even major companies are pivoting towards a more distributed workforce, with Twitter offering its employees the ability to work from home indefinitely and Facebook revealed it expects at least half of its workforce will be in remote positions in the next few years.
While some companies may not fully commit to the remote workforce, a hybrid of in-office workers and remote employees could become more popular. Many experts argue that an office is necessary as humans need socialization to remain productive and mentally healthy.
“Humans need offices. Work-related video meetings are too often transactional, awkward and unappealing. No Skype chat can replicate what Heatherwick calls the “chemistry of the unexpected” that you get in person,” wrote journalist Catherine Nixey in an article titled ‘The Death of the Office’.
Overall, while the way we perceived offices will most definitely change moving forward, they may still be necessary to keep employees inspired, motivated, efficient and productive.
