Henri Hietala, CEO of Innovation Home, reflects on why flexible working environments have become an increasingly important part of everyday life, even for established companies.
Many things that were once seen as temporary solutions in the start-up world are now mainstream in large, established companies. Agile development, cloud computing, modern communication tools and many other approaches initially seemed like solutions for companies that did not yet have the "right" structures or resources. Over time, they proved to be better ways of working in many situations: faster, more flexible and better suited to changing daily life.
The same change is now taking place in working environments. For a long time, flexible and shared working environments were mainly seen as a solution for start-ups or growth companies, as a kind of interim step before having a permanent office. In reality, many of the principles behind these work environments meet the very needs that are now affecting almost all businesses.
They need flexibility, more efficient use of space, services that support everyday life, a sense of community, the ability to scale quickly and, above all, working environments that are built around the real needs of work - not just around square footage.
"Many of the things that were once seen as compromises in the start-up world are now mainstream in large, established companies. The same change is now happening in work environments," says Henri Hietala, CEO of Innovation Home.
IT work has changed enormously over the last few years. Work is done at different speeds, in different places and with different configurations than before. As the way work is done changes, so does the role of the office. The office is not disappearing, but it needs to respond to the new way of working.
At its best, the work environment supports encounters, concentration, collaboration, company culture and the well-being of people within the same entity. It is not just a space, but a service that helps everyday life run smoothly.
At Innovation Home, we talk about homes for good work for this very reason. For us, a work environment is not about having as much square footage of your own as possible, but a whole that supports your company's everyday life in the right way. A dedicated office, shared spaces, meeting rooms, services, events and community all come together to create a working environment that lives and breathes work.
"The best working environments of the future will not be created by having as much space as possible, but by how well the space supports the work, the company culture and people's daily lives." Hietala says.
So flexibility is no longer a compromise. Increasingly, it is the very feature that makes a better working environment. The best working environments of the future will adapt to the rhythm of work, the stage of the company and the real needs of people.
We look forward to continuing the debate on how office-as-a-service solutions can meet changing customer needs and transform the market for office space for rent.