The Migration of the Workforce: Why Do Flexible Workspaces Matter?

By Vickey Li, Founder of Veery Offices

The Rise of Cities

The history of world development highlights the establishment of cities as prime communities for growth. This is clear today in the United States and across the globe as talent increasingly migrates to urban areas. In cities, the goal of a better climate and improved social benefits unites innovators and drives progress across industries.

The rise in cities has been an ongoing trend for the past 10 years. Cities haven’t ceased in developing new housing, leading high-profile companies to fight for the best urban locations. A prime city location is essential to attract top talents today.

The Impact of Urbanization

The acceleration of technology development has led to more crowded cities. In fact, over the past 50 years, urbanization has doubled in medium-income countries. Now, more than half of the global population lives in cities.

In 2007, only New York City and Tokyo qualified as mega-cities. Now, 33 cities have gained the same distinction. This rapid urbanization directly impacts how we live and work.

The acceleration of technology development has led to more crowded cities. In fact, over the past 50 years, urbanization has doubled in medium-income countries.

What will the cities of tomorrow bring? At this pace, we can only expect the future of cities to double what it is today. Considering that urbanization has swept through low-density suburbs, we must adapt to the needs of newly urbanized areas.

Unplanned urbanization is a recipe for crime, disease, poverty, and environmental damage. We need tools to combat these issues and promote healthy, urban communities — this can start now!

The Presence of Technology

With globalization came the need for companies to acquire the best international talents, and a cheaper supply chain, to meet a more demanding market.

Technology is an increasingly powerful presence in our lives, OnePiece Work is stationed in Silicon Valley, the global hub of technology. While we’re already steeped in a world of Virtual Reality, AI, and machine learning, companies in other areas of the world might not be as prepared for Globalization trends. To naturally adopt technology into all areas of the workplace, we need to be prepared to accommodate expensive resources and high learning costs.

What’s Going On Today?

Today, companies are transitioning from working and commuting to big cities to staying near their homes and utilizing flexible office space in suburban areas. Splunk and Twitter, for example, currently have a presence in South Bay. The move out of urban areas is facilitated by working from home, which isn’t a new concept. Long before the pandemic, companies like Take-Two and Hyundai were utilizing remote work, giving their employees the flexibility to work from anywhere.

Tools for work productivity are more universally utilized than in years past. Conference room software like Zoom is used to carry out virtual meetings, with nearly every company in today’s climate having adopted project productivity software. These tools are essential to the adoption of long-term remote work.

The COVID-19 Impact

Today, companies are transitioning from working and commuting to big cities to staying near their homes and utilizing flexible office space in suburban areas.

COVID-19 had a significant impact on many businesses around the world, including ours. To adapt, we’ve adopted a hybrid, flexible office model. Companies are more committed than ever to their employees’ wellbeing. Maintaining a safe, healthy office space has become our top priority.

Multiple high-profile organizations have started offering their employees greater geographical flexibility in recent years. That flexibility has ranged from one work-from-home day per week to full-time work-from-home. Some organizations in the U.S., have limited the types of roles within a company that can utilize remote work. These new work-from-home guidelines are a direct result of COVID-19 and will continue to influence workplaces for years to come. Companies are also providing stipends for their employees to find local flexible office locations to get away from working from home and the issues that present for some.

Defining Flexibility

We, at OnePiece Work, understand that our employees and members are managing several different demands in their lives, including family and professional obligations, education, community activities, and their personal health. The goal of workplace flexibility is to provide our employees with options that will assist them in meeting the demands of their personal and professional responsibilities while supporting their career aspirations.

We modified our procedure for obtaining flexible work arrangements. This change is intended to encourage our members to reach their career goals while fulfilling the needs of their business.

Procedures For Flexibility in The Workspace

The goal of workplace flexibility is to provide our employees with options that will assist them in meeting the demands of their personal and professional responsibilities while supporting their career aspirations.

To be successful in a flexible workspace, we abide by the following procedures:

• Strategy and efficiency: We consistently strategize and review business processes to remove inefficient methods.
• Office planning and delivery: In the office planning stage, we consider how flexibility and your specific needs could succeed in the workplace.
• Expectations and culture: Our key objectives include broadening our understanding of flexible work, harnessing its potential benefits, and changing our attitudes about work/life balance.
• Consultation and engagement: We aim to share our experiences in a flexible work setting, establishing a clear channel of communication, and fostering further change.

Flexibility can be an advantage for any company that aims to cultivate the best experience for their workforce. By attracting and supporting top talents, flexible workspaces have the potential to strengthen organizations and drive growth.

Vickey Li is the Founder of Veery Offices, a marketplace that matches companies with the right workspace for their teams in the changing landscape of commercial real estate. Veery was built upon Vickey’s extensive experience working with fast-growing companies for their office expansion in Shanghai, Hong Kong, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. With her passion for real estate, she executed her vision of a curated, scalable office leasing solution that would accelerate global footprints for today’s companies. Vickey is also the co-founder of OnePiece Work, a flexible workspace provider, which expanded to 10 cities globally and was ranked no. 8 fastest-growing private companies in the Bay Area by the SF Business Times.

Feel free to connect with me via Linkedin with any questions you may have!