In the UAE, a younger and more agile workforce is paving the way for companies to re-examine their traditional offices and the idea of flexible workspaces that improve productivity and create a better work-life balance.
In recent years, though there has been an evolution around the idea of flexible workspaces, the spread of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown has accelerated the shift to remote work, say experts.
Flexible workplaces are no longer just a nice perk to have as it is increasingly becoming business-critical. In order to successfully continue, businesses need to rethink their daily operations.
The global mobile workforce is expected to reach 1.87 billion by 2022 according to Strategy Analytics’ Global Mobile Workforce Forecast Update 2016-2022.
IWG, a multinational provider of serviced offices, business lounges and conferencing facilities conducted a study to understand the benefits of having a flexible workspace both to the employees and the organization. The study found that 83% of people worldwide would choose a job that offered flexible work over a job that did not. 28% would prefer to be able to choose their place of work over a holiday allowance increment.
Furthermore, 71% of businesses agree that providing flexible work allows them to increase their pool of talent. To this end, 77% of companies worldwide are adapting and looking to introduce flexible working as a means to improve talent retention.
Similar research from Avanade, a global professional service company also highlighted how organizations that adopted digital tools had benefited across diverse segments. Globally, organizations have witnessed a 67% increase in productivity, a 53% improvement in employee engagement and a 43% rise in revenue through the implementation of digital workplaces.
Sam Tayan Managing Director, Zoom Gulf
“It is interesting to note that even before the pandemic, advances in technology, interwoven with the new generation of the workforce, meant that workplace culture was already experiencing a paradigm shift.”
When Cloud Spaces go live, Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi will also welcome its very own co-working space. Cloud Spaces is the first co-working facility in a mall in the GCC region. It will deliver a range of integrated solutions to companies and individuals, including networking and mentoring programs.
