Companies of all sizes might be encouraging team members to return to the office, but that doesn’t mean the demand flexibility has disappeared. More than 75% of Fortune 100 companies work on a flexible schedule, and our own research has uncovered that the majority of businesses are prioritizing flexible working strategies to boost productivity, and engagement, while reducing costs.

Embracing flexibility in the workplace offers companies a unique opportunity to enhance collaboration and team satisfaction, reduce office expenses, and adhere to changing trends. After all, in the UK, employees now have the legal right to request flexible work.

Here’s why you should invest in flexible work technologies heading into 2025 and beyond.

1.    Flexible Work Improves Employee Satisfaction

Skill shortages have emerged as a major issue in every industry, forcing companies to work harder to retain their top talent. Unfortunately, inflexible offices actually drive employees away from businesses. Studies show that around half of companies with rigid “return to work” policies experienced increased employee attrition.

Flexible workspace solutions, from customizable meeting rooms to hot desking systems, ensure you can meet changing employee expectations without compromising productivity and performance. The right solutions will help you contribute to employee wellness by accommodating different working styles and preferences, reducing burnout, and minimizing stress.

2.    Improve Adherence to RTO Mandates

As mentioned above, plenty of companies are implementing return to office mandates as of 2024, but not all of these mandates are successful. Companies without the right environments and tools in place to accommodate flexible workers are seeing an increase in noncompliance with office policies.

One study even found up to 40% of managers ignore return to office requests regularly. To encourage team members back into the office, you need to create spaces where they’ll feel as productive and comfortable as they would at home.

Simple strategies, like implementing “BYOM” and “BYOD” policies, so employees can continue to use the technology they feel comfortable with make a huge difference. Even creating focus rooms for people who need help eliminating distractions can be beneficial.

3.    Enhance Flexible Work Productivity

Various studies have shown that flexible working practices can improve productivity by allowing individuals to choose the “best environment” for their specific needs. Flexible working can improve productivity and engagement by ensuring team members feel trusted by their managers.

However, that productivity boost can suffer if teams don’t have access to the right flexible work technologies. Beyond simply ensuring professionals have the meeting rooms they need to connect with distributed colleagues and crucial amenities like computers and desks, companies need cutting-edge tech to turbocharge productivity.

Solutions like Microsoft Places, for instance, which allow employees to track which team members will be in the office on any given day, can help staff organize their office time more effectively.

4.    Boost Collaboration and Creativity

Various forms of flexible working strategies can significantly impact team creativity and collaboration. Hot desking solutions and office neighborhoods, for instance, allow team members to connect and share ideas with people they wouldn’t usually interact with.

This leads to greater cross-functional collaboration, better networking opportunities, and enhanced problem-solving among teams. Creating flexible environments where team members can collaborate with all kinds of different stakeholders also helps to enhance company culture.

The more team members can connect with each other, whether their colleagues are inside or outside of the office, the happier they’ll be in their roles. Even focus spaces can help boost creativity by giving team members a way to disconnect from the office regularly. One study found 41% of workers felt more energized after using a focus space.

5.    Flexible Work Tech Reduces Operational Costs

Flexible work environments naturally improve the cost-effectiveness of office environments. By adapting to the age of flexible work, companies can create smaller spaces that can adapt quickly to a range of employee needs, reducing leasing costs, utilities, and maintenance overheads.

Implementing advanced technologies also offers businesses a chance to reduce expenses in other ways. With workplace management tools, organizations can track how spaces, tools, and resources are being utilized, giving them an easier way to identify which solutions they should be investing in.

These tools can even offer insights into potential workspace issues, like which meetings last too long, or which rooms use the most electricity and energy throughout the day.

6.    Enable Agility and Scalability

Truly flexible workspaces, designed for the age of hybrid work, allow businesses to adapt rapidly to changing trends and employee preferences. With modular technology, such as meeting room kits, plug-and-play displays, and BYOD solutions, companies can rapidly transform any office space to accommodate meetings, focus work, hot-desking, and more.

Businesses can empower their team members to customize their work environment based on changing needs from one day to the next, allowing for a more agile workplace. With insights gathered from workplace management and meeting room booking tools, businesses can even plan for changing trends throughout the year.

They can even adapt to changing sustainability requirements, finding ways to reduce energy consumption with remote device management solutions and IoT systems that can switch displays and devices off automatically.

7.    Unlock Valuable Insights

As mentioned above, flexible work technologies, such as meeting room and desk booking tools, are excellent for unlocking useful insights about your workplace. The right technologies can help you understand how spaces are used, optimize your office environment over time, and improve employee experiences. All of this leads to better resource utilization.

In addition to optimizing your office’s operation, the right technologies can help you learn more about how your team members prefer to collaborate and how you can automate and streamline certain tasks.

For instance, based on your insights into meeting room usage, you can set up automatic “release” policies to ensure new spaces become available to users as soon as a previous conference ends.

Investing in the Future of Flexible Work

Demand for flexible work isn’t going anywhere, even in the age of return-to-office mandates. Employees still want versatile and adaptable office spaces that accommodate their changing preferences and needs. If you want to boost team productivity, reduce attrition, and enhance the cost efficiency of your office space, you need the right tech.

Investing in flexible work solutions, from meeting room kits, to modular devices, BYOM policies, and meeting room booking systems, will help you make the most of your office space.

 

 



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