The idea of the workplace has transformed and evolved more times than can be counted over the past year or so. Now, as we move towards an era that may be even more uncertain than March 2020, companies are addressing changes to their real estate, human resources, IT and overall return to the office.
Forbes and workplace design firm M Moser took a deeper look into these shifts by surveying 186 occupiers in the U.S. and Canada to understand how the future of work is transforming how employees and businesses have adapted to the ongoing pandemic.
One trend that was found was the growing desire to move to โlifestyle citiesโ which feature warm weather, affordability and career opportunities. In fact, the demand for these secondary cities like Nashville and Phoenix has also changed where flexible workspace operators are opening new locations.
This migration has led companies to adopt hub-and-spoke models that incorporate offices closer to where people live, rather than just having workspaces in urban centers.
Not only is demand shifting away from large cities, it is also becoming smaller as companies adopt more flexible work practices such as remote working, work-near-home and more.
There has also been a pivot in the balance of power from leaders to employees. Instead of employees having to abide by whatever policies employers put in place, workers get a bigger say in how companies operate, their workplace arrangements and the tools they need to be productive.
