Workspaces will continue to evolve in 2024 to adapt to the changing needs of employees and the new ways of working. This year’s focus will be on designing even smarter workspaces, enhancing employee well-being, as well as hybrid forms of working and sustainability.

1. Prioritising smaller but smarter workspaces

This trend has become increasingly widespread in recent years and will continue in 2024. There are two main areas in which companies are focusing their efforts:

• Optimising workspaces through the Agile method:
  Maximising office use by adopting more efficient and, above all, flexible design concepts. Modular furniture, the creation of combination environments rather than workspaces segmented by profession, the creation of multi-use rather than single-use workspaces, the integration of shared offices, etc. In short, the idea is to create “offices within offices” to adapt workspaces to the preferences and activities of teams at any given time.

• The integration of advanced technologies:
  In this market niche, the IoT (Internet of Things) plays a key role in connecting equipment to workspaces to capture data, automate processes and improve the daily experience on site.

«In 2024, IoT-enabled office solutions will become more commonplace to provide employees with personalised experiences tailored to their preferences. Data generated by IoT devices will be harnessed to make informed decisions, enabling more efficient use of resources and greater productivity in the workplace.»¹

2. Employee well-being as a growth driver

Employee well-being has become a strategic priority for companies, as it has a direct impact on productivity, talent attraction and retention, as well as corporate culture. Corporate teams will continue to be supported in the new ways of working this year, in particular by:

• Further expanding flexibility in work organisations so that employees can adapt their working hours and location to suit their individual needs and the tasks assigned to them: home office, flexible working hours, flexible tasks and responsibilities are the leading areas for action.
• Investing in tools that keep pace with working trends: providing booking solutions for workspaces, improving collaboration tools to optimally integrate remote workers, optimising meeting room equipment, etc.

3. Hybrid working remains the preferred method

The benefits of hybrid working are undisputed, and companies and employees alike will continue moving in this direction this year:

• The benefits of hybrid working for employees: 
  79% of employees who have adopted hybrid working say they are more productive than before². This figure is due to a better work-life balance and a reduction in travel time. Hybrid working will continue to be the preferred working arrangement for employees in 2024.
• The benefits of hybrid working for companies:  
  Hybrid working has a direct impact on a company’s profitability by helping to retain talent and therefore reduce the cost of new recruitment, while at the same time boosting productivity. This goes hand in hand with a reduction in the size of workspaces, as the classic model of one workstation per employee is no longer appropriate. However, this optimisation is only possible if it is accompanied by the right tools to support flexible work organisations (e.g., a workspace reservation application for employees, such as myROOMZ).

4. More sustainable and responsible workspaces

The ESG performance of companies (Environmental, Social and Governance) will be an integral part of designing workspaces, and even more so when it comes to creating new spaces. Although standards for energy reduction vary from country to country, companies are increasingly being asked to obtain demanding environmental certifications, such as ISO 50001 relating to the energy efficiency of buildings. This means not only choosing environmentally-friendly building materials for their offices, but also a desire to reduce energy consumption on a global scale.

This second priority focuses on two areas in particular:

• Optimised use of energy:
  Whether for lighting, heating or ventilation, these sources of consumption can be improved. One approach is to collect data on the actual use of workspaces using tools such as ROOMZ Advanced Analytics. By accessing the usage data of each workspace, it is possible to understand how employees use the offices and then act accordingly (e.g., reducing the size of workspaces, closing a floor on Fridays due to lower occupancy, fewer offices but more meeting rooms, etc.).

• Efficient use of equipment:
  By making employees aware of the consumption of their IT equipment, in particular by encouraging them to switch off their devices when they are not in use.
  By adopting an IT purchasing strategy that prioritises solutions with lower energy consumption.

By combining these approaches and adopting a holistic approach to energy management, companies can significantly reduce their carbon footprint while attaining significant savings.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

In 2024, workspaces will continue to evolve significantly, incorporating a fusion of flexibility, employee well-being and sustainability. Initial studies point to a more humane and technologically advanced approach. By combining these elements, companies can create environments conducive to innovation, collaboration and long-term success.

Sources:

[1]  AIS Top Office Technology Trends for 2024: What To Keep Your Eye On
[2]  IWG plc Work study April 2023