Are flex offices shaping the new offices of tomorrow?

Office occupancy rates have fallen steadily, from 80% to 60% in just a few years(1). Companies have therefore had to think of different ways of dealing with this new situation. What's more, the pandemic facing France has forced managers to take a fresh look at their workspaces, once abandoned for telecommuting, then slowly reinvested.

Flex office must be distinguished from desk sharing, a concept which will also be explained in our article.

So, what is the flex office and what are the advantages of this new way of working?

What is the flex office?

The term "flex office" refers to the fact that a company does not assign a specific workstation to its employees. Employees are therefore free to work wherever they like, according to the requirements of their assignments. They can work from an unoccupied office, a meeting room, a coworking space, a café, or telecommute from home.

The birth of the flex office is the result of several factors. Employees sometimes work outside the office, taking vacations, taking time off, getting sick... An unoccupied office is a costly office for the company.

As for digital technology, it enables all employees to access their work tools at any time, from anywhere.

Last but not least, comfort at work leads everyone to question the organization of work and private life. The aim here is to find the best possible balance, while limiting the commute to and from work.

The concept of flex office is often confused with that of desk sharing. The latter refers to the phenomenon whereby employees no longer have assigned offices within their company.

Flex office, a future-proof solution for your offices

Flex office, a fast-growing trend, is redefining the way we design our workspaces. Flex office offers a host of advantages and new models that enrich our vision and innovative approach to business.

Flex office means flexibility in the workplace. Unlike desk sharing, where each employee is assigned a workstation, flex office gives you the freedom to choose your workspace according to the specific needs of each assignment. This can mean using unoccupied offices within the company, coworking spaces, cafés or even telecommuting from home.

This trend is supported by the growing expansion of third-party venues such as fablabs and coworking spaces. These environments offer an ideal setting for creativity, collaboration and networking. Nomadic workers benefit from a synergy that enables them to cross-fertilize their skills with other professions, thus fostering innovation.

The flex office also offers numerous environmental benefits. By reducing commuting costs and travel times, it helps reduce pollution and environmental impact. What's more, by boosting productivity and improving employee satisfaction, it leads to increased output.

Breaking the routine is another advantage of the flex office. Every day becomes a new experience, full of challenges, encounters and adventures. This challenging and motivating nature stimulates creativity and fosters employee commitment .

In financial terms, the flex office offers undeniable advantages. By adopting this model, companies can save on real estate costs, paying only for the space they use. What's more, this flexible approach adapts to economic fluctuations, making it a relevant solution in times of crisis.

To maximize the adoption of flex office, you can also considerintegrating digital signage solutions into your offices. These screens can help orient your employees and make it easier to find a free workspace. In this way, they help to accommodate flex office users.

In addition to the advantages mentioned above, the use of digital signage solutions in a flex office environment can bring additional benefits. These screens can display the availability of offices, meeting rooms and common areas in real time, making it easy for employees to find a free workspace that suits their needs.

The advantages of flex office

The flex office offers at least 5 advantages:

Greater productivity

The flex office allows employees to choose the location best suited to the task in hand. Coffee shops can help you relax during meetings, while the office allows "real-life" exchanges with colleagues. Finally, working from home offers greater concentration. As there are (almost) no rules to the creative process, it's essential to let employees choose where they work.

Caring corporate management

When a company adopts the flex office, it is essential that it adapts to employees' new ways of working. Where there was a place for control, there is now a place for trust. The flex office calls for benevolent management. We believe in our employees' ability to opt for an efficient organization and to find the right boundaries between work and private life!

This can easily be achieved by using tools to circulate skills and information. As for digital technology, it represents the ideal solution for promoting and encouraging good internal communication.

Greater freedom for workers

Thanks to digital development and the miniaturization of electronics, employees' favorite equipment is now portable: the computer is portable and the cell phone mobile.

At the same time, the open space is becoming less popular... Sedentary corporate habits no longer correspond to the nomadic realities of employees. As a result, the flex office is gradually gaining ground. The concept is fast becoming the most appropriate response to the new needs of companies and their employees.

A more pleasant workspace for employees

On desks, files pile up one on top of the other, alongside leftover lunches and other objects left to rot... With flex office, everyone is obliged to leave behind a clean workspace. And in times of pandemics, this is a strong argument in favor of the assiduous practice of flex office!

Several atmospheres in a single workspace

Whereas with the open-plan office, everyone had to see their desk as the place where all their tasks had to be carried out, the flex office allows them to break down the silos and work together. Meetings, discussions and moments of concentration no longer have to take place above the same desk.

The flex office can meet the different needs of employees at different times of the working day. Each workspace can therefore be designed with a different atmosphere, to optimize worker efficiency. Examples include

• The meeting room for exchanging ideas with colleagues;
• A space reserved for group brainstorming;
• A room where you can make your calls.

How do I set it up?

When a company is accustomed to a traditional way of working, it's imperative that the adoption of flex office is a gradual process. There are five stages to the adoption of flex office by all employees.

To begin with, the company needs to assess the occupancy rate of its offices. This will help to define the precise surface area of the future flex office space.

• The next step is to consider the needs of employees. The organization of the space, the location of the office, etc. must meet the expectations of the company's employees.
• Next comes the creation of different work environments. These must correspond to the same needs in each company. Employees must be able to find individual workstations, rooms in which they can make telephone calls or video-conference, spaces for holding meetings, convivial areas, etc.
• For better organization, it's a good practice to provide individual lockers, so that team members can store their personal belongings.
• The fourth point of the flex office is the need for more flexible management. As team members are not necessarily at their desks, it is imperative that managers change their posture of work control to one of open trust. With the flex office, it's not just employees who are finding new working spaces, it's also managers who have to redefine their place in this new context!
• The fifth and final step in setting up a flex office is to provide the right IT and digital equipment. This means providing everyone with an intangible file storage system. This means that all employees can access their files even when they're not in the office, and whatever their device. The company must also equip its employees with a professional computer and cell phone.
• For companies that are more comfortable, why not set up a system for reserving meeting spaces or workstations, via an application for example? You can also install digital signage screens in different offices to orientate your employees and help them find a free seat. This is a great way to support change and increase the adoption rate of this new way of working.

Digital signage at service flex office

Digital signage screens can also broadcast relevant information, such as meeting schedules, company news, upcoming events or even motivational messages. This keeps employees informed and engaged, while creating a dynamic, collaborative atmosphere.

In addition, digital signage solutions can be used to foster communication and collaboration between teams. For example, interactive screens can be installed in common workspaces, enabling employees to share ideas, projects or important information in real time. This encourages creativity, strengthens team spirit and facilitates cooperation between different members of the company.

In addition, digital signage screens can be used to personalize the employee experience in a flex office environment. For example, each employee can have an individual profile where they can display personal information such as their name, department, photo and so on. This facilitates identification and fosters a sense of belonging to the team.

Digital signage screens can also be used to integrate workspace reservation tools. Employees can easily reserve an office, meeting room or any other space they require, using the interface displayed on the screen. This optimizes space utilization and avoids booking conflicts.

Finally, it's important to consider certain practical aspects when installing digital signage solutions in a flex office environment. Make sure that screens are strategically placed, visible and accessible to all employees. Make sure that the information displayed is regularly updated, and that the screens are easy to use and intuitive.

In conclusion, the flex office offers many advantages in terms of flexibility, productivity, work environment and costs for companies. The use of digital signage solutions can reinforce these advantages by facilitating workspace search, fostering communication and collaboration, personalizing the employee experience and optimizing space utilization. By embracing these new technologies, companies can create modern, dynamic work environments that respond to changing employee needs and foster innovation and growth.

The risks of flex office

If you read the advantages, you'd think there were no disadvantages to the flex office... But there are at least four. We advise you to take them into account too, before rethinking the way you work.

• The first is a reduced sense of well-being at work. Indeed, with the flexibility demanded by the flex office, it is no longer possible to personalize one's workspace. Admittedly, the office is less cluttered, but the lack of personal items can be detrimental to the sense of well-being. It's also worth noting that team members will have to move their belongings around, adjusting a new chair and a new screen every day. With no specific place allocated, team members may feel that they are interchangeable.
• The second point to consider concerns the possible emergence of tensions between employees. After all, whoever arrives at the office first will also be the first to be served. This can lead to stress and conflicts between team members. And this will be all the more true if certain workspaces are deemed less pleasant than others.
• In third place comes corporate communication, which could deteriorate as a result of the flex office. While moving from office to office is supposed to encourage exchanges between employees, frequent job changes can also have the opposite effect. It's true that meetings are more frequent, but the bonds forged are weaker.
• A final drawback is the lack of work organization. Not having your own office means you have to be highly organized. You need to be able to offer meeting places, reserve a workstation in a coworking space (when team members are telecommuting), ensure that the location suits the style of the employees, etc. The organization needs to be well thought out to enable this new way of working to express its full potential!

The flex office therefore has undeniable advantages, but also disadvantages whose impact on company life should not be overlooked. A good practice is to talk to employees and listen to their needs.

Reflecting lasting changes in employee behavior, the flex office requires co-construction with staff. Only in this way can the company benefit from the enhancement of its identity, and see its values and projects supported by all its team members.