Regus, the global provider of workplace solutions, and Unwired have launched a global workplace report VWork: Measuring the benefits of agility at work.

The report has revealed that nearly 60% of respondents from large organizations predict a decrease in the need for office space as a result of future work styles. The report examines current opinions about the world of work and highlights how companies are responding to agile working.

Through extensive research and surveys of top global executives VWork has established a measure for companies to monetize agility that will impact their bottom lines.

As part of the report, Regus and Unwired surveyed 600 executives from around the world to gauge their thoughts on the current state of the workplace. In an online survey, respondents were asked about topics such as virtual working, mobility, collaboration, and utilization of office space.

“As the concept of virtuality gains ground, monetizing agility and creating a robust business case for changing the way we work will become essential,” said William Willems, Regional Vice President, Australia New Zealand and South East Asia, Regus. “The future of work will involve organizations moving toward a more flexible work model where employees will be allowed to buy their own office space.”

Nearly 60% of survey respondents from large organizations predicted a decrease in the need for office space as a result of future work styles, with only 7% predicting an increase in space required. Over half of the respondents (51%) indicated that the office will become a place for occasional use.

“It will be critical for companies to find a new measure for the cost of ‘provisioning work’ that leaves behind the traditional approaches of rent and rates in a ‘per square foot’ fixed world,” said Phillip Ross, Chief Executive Officer, Unwired. “As the utilization of an office today is typically only 45%, empty desks no longer make sense in a world where mobility and agility will become accepted by people as the most effective and sustainable way of working.”

As part of the report, Regus and Unwired have established a measure for monetizing agility at work. Corporations will be able to leverage this as they move away from the historic one-person-one-desk approach to work provision as it is simply a fact that nowadays many employees prefer to have greater freedom in choosing their workspace, buy their own technological gadgets and simply experience satisfaction in making their own choices.

In their study, Regus and Unwired have identified a series of value dividends that shape a vision of ‘provisioning work’ in a ‘buy your own’ world, which includes: 

Photo: William Willems, Regional Vice-President, Regus, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia

‘New Ways of Working’

  • 62.5% of large enterprises surveyed have already rolled out new ways of working.
  • 59% of respondents said they no longer struggle to work effectively outside the workplace.

Going Local

  • Only 12% of people would like to work from home.
  • 64% of respondents believe the ideal commute to work is under 20 minutes and 25% want less than a 10 minute commute.
  • Currently, 32% of respondents that work for large organizations spend 41 to 60 minutes commuting every day and 27% spend over an hour.

Bricks and Clicks

  • 79% of respondents feel they have the right technology to be productive in their workplace and increasingly are being given technology enablers to be able to work from any location.
  • More than half (51%) are enabled with everything they need, while 42% have a few tools but expressed that technology capabilities could be improved.

Generational

71% of those surveyed believe that younger workers, the millennial and the generation still at school, will be more accepting of virtual working and reject the traditional office.

Photo: William Willems, Regional Vice-President, Regus, Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia

Source: Regus