55% of Businesses Want More Collaboration Space in Their Offices

A world full of lockdowns and social distancing has made in-person collaboration impossible. But our research shows that businesses across the world are eager for it – and are looking to the future.

As part of our most recent edition of (Y)OUR SPACE, we interviewed 373 global businesses (who collectively employ over 10 million people worldwide) to understand how they’re adapting their real estate strategies for the years to come. As it turns out, collaboration space is key.

55% of businesses we surveyed believe they will increase the proportion of collaborative space in their offices over the next three years. Though this might seem at odds with a world characterised by lockdowns and social distancing rules, it’s clear that businesses are thinking about their long-term strategies – fuelled, in part, by the optimism of successful vaccine rollouts.

On top of that, 36% of respondents believe that they’ll decrease the occupational density in their office portfolios – so that fewer employees are squeezed onto rows of desks. And just over a half (54%) of businesses plan to increase hot-desking and desk-sharing regimes as our relationship with the office becomes more fluid and as space becomes more collaborative.

In fact, 77% of businesses expect to either decrease or maintain the number of desks they have per person over the next three years, with almost six in every 10 businesses envisaging desk-to-people ratios of 50% or below. That would involve a team of 50 people sharing 25 desks, for example.

Just over a half (54%) of businesses plan to increase hot-desking and desk-sharing regimes as our relationship with the office becomes more fluid and as space becomes more collaborative.

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But that’s not to say businesses will want less space – 65% of businesses actually plan to either increase or maintain the amount of office space they have – they simply want different types of spaces alongside fewer desks. Think agile workspaces, roof terraces, collaborative spaces, breakout areas, communal meetup spaces, quiet pods, phone booths, auditoriums and event spaces.

Big tech names have been leading the way with this. While everyone was forced to work remotely during the pandemic, Facebook – which is “betting on an in-person future” – was busy expanding its office footprint in New York. Its new ‘urban campus’ includes two main offices, one of which is primarily a creative, collaborative hub with plenty of event space.

Other tech giants such as TikTok, Netflix, Apple and Microsoft and Amazon were also busy expanding their office space, with Amazon announcing its plans for an “office-centric culture” as a way to “invent, collaborate and learn together most effectively.”

It makes complete sense for businesses to rely on their offices to facilitate collaboration. When our 373 global businesses were asked: “What strategic agenda items does real estate support?”, increased collaboration was among the top five responses, with 37% of businesses believing that offices can serve to bring people together and inspire teamwork.

When our 373 global businesses were asked: “What strategic agenda items does real estate support?”, increased collaboration was among the top five responses, with 37% of businesses believing that offices can serve to bring people together and inspire teamwork.

Of course, collaboration can occur remotely, but the ease of that collaborative effort is improved when everyone is under the same roof.

Francesca Cooper-Isow, a Senior Surveyor in our Flexible Office Solutions team has noticed a similar keenness for collaboration on the ground while helping businesses find their perfect office. She explains: “I’m speaking to a range of businesses who are looking for collaborative workspaces rather than cellular offices. They all seem to have the same plan of taking fewer desks and implementing employee rotation systems.

“They want to create a new kind of environment. So, rather than having 60 desks for 60 people, they’ll enquire about a 30-desk office that also includes high bench areas, sofas, collaborative spaces and places to meet up in rather than having everyone sat behind a screen at a desk. I’ve even had a business ask if providers offer internal design teams to help create this kind of space.”

This matches up with employee sentiment, too. In our LinkedIn poll, we asked: “What are you most looking forward to about returning to the office?”. 62% of our 811 respondents said in-person collaboration, 31% said work-life separation and 5% said screens and ergonomic furniture. With in-person collaboration coming in at first place – and by a significant margin – it’s clear how much face-to-face catch-ups and ‘just bumped into’ moments have been missed.