The pandemic has changed the world of work forever.
Flexible work is here to stay, and although traditional centralized headquarters won’t disappear anytime soon, existing workspace configurations are undergoing a significant reassessment. As the COVID vaccination rate rises, companies across industries are testing the hybrid, or "hub-and-spoke," office model for flexible workspace rental.
Applying a hub-and-spoke approach, as the name suggests, involves maintaining a central headquarters or “hub” within a network of smaller offices (“the spokes”). These “spoke” locations are geographically distributed across a city or country, providing a solution for both remote workers and the companies that employ them.
Using this model, your business gets the benefits of flexibility, affordability, and productivity that a single office just can’t provide. Read on to find out why it’s become the trend for back-to-the-office planning.
Forward-thinking companies are embracing hybrid solutions to meet changing employee expectations about the nature of work. While remote work used to be an edge case, it's becoming an expectation as companies compete for top talent. Simply stated, employees prefer to work closer to home for a variety of reasons, including work/life balance.
Cost reduction is also driving the sudden shift. Flexible offices offer facilities and services, typically at a fraction of the cost while giving the employee access to a rich selection of on-site amenities.
We previously covered how virtual offices can drive costs down and many companies intend to test this in 2021. Recent PriceWaterhouseCooper research indicates 58% of companies surveyed plan to open new locations including offices in suburbs.
Future uncertainty has discouraged renewals of long-term lease contracts which makes flexible space an attractive option. Rather than being locked in, companies may scale up or down depending on their forecast outlook. Hub-and-spoke can be an affordable method for cutting unused space while maintaining a physical presence, when (and where) needed.
This model is especially useful for companies looking to downsize, but still wanting to maintain a professional image and local presence. By reducing square footage, costs and underutilized real estate are greatly minimized.
Remote work had its place during the pandemic, however, it’s not a permanent solution.
Many are eager to return to the normality of office life but aren’t yet comfortable taking public transportation. Private office locations situated near employee homes offer productive spaces that are safe and flexible. They can work at their best wherever it makes sense to do so.
Ultimately, some team tasks are better conducted in person and it’s useful to have a local formal setting for client meetings. Additionally, your office address speaks volumes about the company, so it can help to have several sites at your disposal.
Flexible offices can act as a home away from home containing everything your team needs for productivity, such as:
Working in a space with meeting rooms, team rooms, and collaborative spaces that support interaction can help set your team up for success.
So, how can you implement a hub-and-spoke office model?
Premier Workspaces’ selection of enterprise office solutions provides ample options to replicate this approach in your business. Here’s one way how:
Let’s say your company headquarters is based in Los Angeles, California — your central “hub” location.
To create the desired workspace network, you could initially establish an office downtown at 444 W Ocean, Long Beach with bonus ocean views. You now give employees the choice of working from a local office, headquarters, or home as desired.
It’s unlikely your team is concentrated around one city, so next, you set up shop to the east in Orange Tower, where your team has access to collaborative space and local attractions. Heading west to Santa Monica, your workspace at The Water Garden resides within a thriving tech community, giving your team external exposure to new connections and resources.
You might even want to expand into new markets in which case, an office in another county or state can help form a local presence. In this scenario, Mission Valley, San Diego could be a suitable choice.
No matter your needs, there are a number of flexible workspaces to support you today and into the future. All of this is designed to scale as your business needs change. You can also opt for short-term (less than 3 months) options if you recently hired a remote employee, but don't want to make a long-term commitment.
With locations across the country and a 19-year operational history, Premier Workspaces is a great partner for your hub-and-spoke back-to-the-office plan. We provide:
The future workplace will be augmented by new ways of working. Talk to the experts in flexible workspaces, here to help implement your back-to-work plan with white-label, fully customizable, turnkey solutions.
Inquire with our enterprise services team today.