The last year can probably be said by most of us to have been challenging in various ways - both personally and professionally. In terms of work, many have had a steep and fast learning curve in terms of keeping up with the digital development, as well as adapting to work partially or fully from home office.
The digital development that would have taken 10-15 years earlier was now possible in a few weeks. The major global macro and micro changes have made it necessary to be adaptable both at company level - and how we work individually and in teams in everyday life. Keywords such as flexibility force themselves forward both in relation to how we work and how we use digital tools, becoming a larger and more important part of the company's "success" factors.
In a period where many have practiced home office, we are slowly but surely returning to the office. But in a different way. The pandemic has probably changed the way we work forever. What was inside before is no longer there.
The new normal in working life
During the pandemic, we at Evolve have seen up close how the use of the offices has changed - and how demand has also taken a turn. We see a formidable change in the demand for more flexibility also from large national and global companies. From traditional leases where you have committed over many years, you now see the value of instead paying for the jobs you need at all times, as well as being able to adapt this along the way. This applies to large established companies as well as small and medium-sized companies with varying needs. Sharing common facilities such as meeting rooms with other companies is perceived as sustainable, and is a form of the business community's sharing economy.
From more traditional use of the offices, we now see that more and more people see the value of being able to use Evolve's infrastructure with almost 30 offices where you can work across the board. The offices are used in new ways where companies establish "Hub`s" where the team meets a few days a week. Many people combine using an Evolve office nearby their home some days instead of pending. These days you save both travel time and at the same time get access to professional workplaces and facilities as opposed to sitting at home.
Socializing by having a chat over a cup of coffee is something that many have missed over the past year. Many people who have worked at home for a long time without adapted workplaces have challenges with motivation, and also miss the mental adjustment that happens when you leave home to go to work.
Changes in everyday work under covid
During the pandemic, we at Evolve have seen up close how the use of the offices has changed - and how demand has also taken a turn. We see a formidable change in the demand for more flexibility also from large national and global companies. From traditionally renting disproportionately large areas where you tied yourself to leases over many years, you now see the value of instead paying for the jobs you need at all times - to be able to adapt this along the way. This applies to large established companies as well as small and medium-sized companies with varying needs. Sharing common facilities such as meeting rooms with other companies is perceived as sustainable, and is a form of the business community's sharing economy.
From more traditional use of the offices, we now see that more and more people see the value of being able to use Evolve's infrastructure with almost 30 offices where you can work across the board. The offices are used in new ways where companies establish "Hub`s" where the team meets a few days a week. Many people combine using an Evolve office near their home some days instead of commuting. These days you save both travel time and at the same time get access to professional workplaces and facilities as opposed to sitting at home.
Socializing by having a chat over a cup of coffee is something that many have missed over the past year. Many people who have worked at home for a long time without adapted workplaces have challenges with motivation, and also miss the mental adjustment that happens when you leave home to go to work.
And the big loser during the pandemic is ... The organizational culture?
Evolve's experiences are also supported by a survey conducted by DNB Næringsmegling at the beginning of the year (2021) among 25 of the largest account users in the country. Here, more than half of the respondents say that it is more likely that they will use flexible office space in the future. Several of the users considered establishing "hubs" outside the head office. This gives employees the opportunity to work in professional office space closer to home. While some of the largest companies have the opportunity to establish office space on their own, several are considering using so-called coworking actors. Other companies are testing or evaluating flexible office concepts in cities where they have few employees.
In a major survey (conducted by HR Norway and Kantar) the organizations are warned against the negative effects of the home office, and have tested the pulse of working life from an employee's perspective. The survey shows that during the pandemic we have had dramatically fewer contact points at work in the last year, and for individuals this means that they have lost contact with an average of two people in their own team - and five in the rest of the company. The volume of communication may also have decreased due to fewer random meetings, less small talk and less immediate feedback. This is a problem for innovation and collaboration. It also emerges that the organizational culture is significantly weakened, and the big losers during the pandemic are the organizational culture, creativity and the opportunity to learn from each other. Working actively with communication and organizational design therefore becomes very important when you now return to the office to catch up on the backlog of communication after the pandemic. To maintain creativity, share knowledge and build organizational culture, the workplace needs people. The importance of reuniting with cultures will be an important management task in the future.
The office solutions of the future
Based on our experiences and the insights from surveys and reports, we at Evolve also believe that the use of the office has changed forever. This is not one or the other but that we will probably see different "hybrid solutions". The most important thing is not where you work but that you get the job done. We believe that you need contrasts in everyday work and that this can build creativity and motivation.
There are a number of challenges and changes and we believe that joint offices with the flexibility we offer will take care of the individual company's needs.
We at Evolve look forward to exciting times - and believe that success factors such as adaptability and seeing opportunities in the changes that come are important. We have a strong focus on adapting the concept so that we can be a contributor to the development and growth of our tenants.
If you want further information or a viewing, you are welcome to contact us!
Elisabeth Nordgård Vikenes
