Companies are also seeing flexible office space as a key element of their corporate portfolios, according to new research released last month. The proportion of companies making no use at all of flexible space is expected to decline from 35% to 21%, indicating a growing awareness and broadening of interest even among previous non-adopters.
The 2018 EMEA Occupier Survey from CBRE shows that occupiers are also increasingly differentiating among the various types of flexible space available, and in general favouring co-working space. All see double-digit increases in their expected level of usage in three years’ time compared with currently.
The increase is most marked for co-working space which sees a rise of over 20 percentage points to 56%, taking it above serviced/furnished space as the most popular type of flexible space.
CBRE believe it is increasingly likely that some larger corporations will respond to the emerging flex market dynamics by developing their own bespoke co-working environments, which mirror the design, service and “vibe” of 3rd party spaces, supported by similar technologies and concierge solutions, but delivered and operated directly to preserve the relationship between employer and employee.
The global real estate advisor believes the wellness agenda has evolved into a core pillar of real estate strategy. Four out of five occupiers have, or plan to introduce, wellness programs and an even higher proportion have some degree of preference for wellness enabled/capable buildings. This is supporting a range of innovative approaches to delivering and measuring wellness, including broadening and adapting the offer and seeking to measure the impacts.
Commenting on the research, Head of Advisory Services & Transactions - Offices, Paddy Conlon said, "Over the last few years, we have seen a seismic shift in occupier demands, placing an increased focus on user experience alongside employee engagement, productivity and wellness benefits. This trend is being experienced across Europe but also mirrored in the Irish market where a lot of millennials are employed."
He added, "Tomorrow’s optimised workplace will be best enabled by people-led technology platforms that connect the features of a personalised workplace experience. The planned increase in real estate technology investments, demonstrated in the survey, will only serve to accelerate this."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
