Why ‘space as a service’ is helping businesses meet worker demands – even as tech execs push ‘return to office’

Businesses have made seismic shifts in how they organize their workforces throughout the 2020s so far.

A hybrid approach that enables flexible working has also allowed firms to foster higher levels of well-being and mental health support for their workers and technology, of course, has been essential for enabling these new ways of working.

Where and how work is now carried out has changed dramatically. In 2015, McKinsey emphasized the importance of fledgling business agility; today, all enterprises strive to be agile with dispersed workforces.

However, the traditional office has not been abandoned. Throughout 2024, tech executives have pushed return to office mandates onto their workforces, with Amazon having mandated a full five days back at desks and Dell Technologies telling remote workers they’d be skipped for promotions.

But amid these sweeping measures, there’s evidence that a hybrid approach, rather than full remote or in-office work, could help workers be more productive and happier. It’s clear that following the pandemic, workers want more control over where, when, and how they work. Businesses that can deliver this level of flexibility will attract and retain the talent they need to innovate.

In the UK, the Flexible Working Bill now protects workers’ rights to ask for flexible working from day one in their role. Peter Cheese, chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said the bill can help all employees “balance their work and life commitments and give them more say and more opportunity in where and how they work”.

Space as a service models, in which workers are provided with workspaces as and when they need them on a hybrid basis, can help businesses meet this demand for worker choice while reducing the amount they must spend on office space each month.

Speaking to ITPro, Heather Delaney, managing director and Founder of Gallium Ventures, outlines her company’s approach to hybrid working and the technologies they use: “Tools we prioritized were the usual suspects: Slack for quick and snappy communication, both internally with the team and externally with clients; Toggl to ensure time is being well-spent and not having the team be swamped with endless timesheets, Google’s suite of tools for live, collaborative work, and, of course, Google Meet for remote meetings and client calls.”

“Utilizing several different app and technology ecosystems has ensured we don’t put all our eggs in one basket,” Delaney continues.

“Being tied to just Google, Apple, or Microsoft’s platforms (among others) can sometimes be limiting, especially as we’re a global company. So, ensuring our documents, for example, are available in both Google Drive and Dropbox, for example, has allowed for seamless sharing, no matter what apps our clients utilize.”

Technology was also revealed to be essential in a report from Jabra’s study at the LSEBehavioural Lab, which concluded that when using high-quality video equipment, meeting room participants saw an 84% increase in engagement from remote participants. Also, there was a 27% increase in technology clarity, leading to 16% more trust, 35% greater expressiveness, and a 47% perceived improvement in the quality of input.

“We believe the findings in this report will help drive awareness between the interconnected relationships of trust, diversity, and technology in meetings and to level the playing field for employees over time,” said Sean Rooney, Scientific Officer and Head of Laboratory. “Leaders need to understand how important meeting equity is for employee development and satisfaction.”

How space as a service transcends traditional offices

Space as a service – has evolved as a direct result of hybrid working practices. Flexibility is the key to ensuring workforces are not constrained by the spaces they want to work within.

Office spaces have transformed into hubs with breakout spaces, while hot desking has returned from the wild to offer pop-up desk space when this is needed. And for fully remote workers, supporting them at home or when they want to work in shared spaces or alone is critical for all companies, no matter their size.

“When it comes to technology, ensuring the usability of tools across various working environments hinges on the vital aspect of flexibility,” Luke Andrews, head of technology at Landmark Space Technology tells ITPro.

“Technology should seamlessly accommodate different devices and operating systems, promoting a cohesive user experience. Striking a balance between innovation and simplicity is crucial to prevent overwhelming users and ensure widespread adoption. Businesses should also consider testing the technology with existing employees across varied work settings, to help ensure these tech solutions are intuitive to use and accessible to all.”

For small businesses, it’s important to choose a platform that aligns with the team’s unique needs. Consider factors such as the size of your team, the nature of your projects, and your preferred mode of communication. A seamless and user-friendly collaborative platform can bridge the gap between in-office and remote employees, creating a cohesive and connected work environment.

Equipping a workforce with the tools they need to remain productive yet support their desire to create their own bespoke working environment will mean a new approach to technology. IT in the hybrid working landscape itself must avoid being cumbersome.

Replicating the collaborative nature of in-person meetings can be a challenge in hybrid workspaces. Collaborative whiteboarding tools, such as Miro and MURAL, bridge this gap by providing virtual canvases where team members can ideate, brainstorm, and collaborate in real time. These tools facilitate visual collaboration, making them ideal for creative teams and project planning sessions.

Cloud-based project management tools like Asana, Trello, and Monday.com enable teams to organize tasks, track progress, and collaborate on projects asynchronously or in real time. These tools provide a centralized hub for project-related information, fostering transparency and accountability among team members.

UNISYS also discovered that focusing on good EX (employee experience), often linked to digital tools, is central to supporting hybrid workforces. Their survey of 2,000 employees from the US, UK, Germany, and Australia shows that technology can drive productivity and empowerment.

Employee concerns are shifting

To ensure hybrid workers are productive no matter their location, businesses must understand their worker’s needs from a practical perspective. Oktra discovered that Gen Z and Young Millennial workers ranked “fast Wi-Fi” as the most essential workplace technology. This was followed by “the latest laptop/PC” and “noise-cancelling headphones” as second and third most important, respectively.

Coffee shops, libraries, public parks, and hotels are productive working spaces workers use. The ability to work in these diverse locations has been made possible by technology – most notably high-performance portable devices such as tablets and notebook PCs.

The WeWork effect has expanded co-working spaces. Despite the rise and fall of co-working as a trend – WeWork notably returned from bankruptcy after falling into significant financial troubles in 2023 – there’s room for growth as workers seek out productive environments.

Mordor Intelligence expects these spaces to undergo 7.11% compound annual growth between 2024 and 2029 in the UK, with 12% of surveyed businesses across the region indicating they’ll use co-working spaces more than a traditionally rented office space. A full 45% of enterprises currently leasing offices are eyeing up real estate downsizes by the end of 2025.

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) found in September 2024 that 41% of respondents worked at home all or some of the time, compared to 35% who are unable to work from home. However, the survey noted a further 8% of workers who are able to work from home chose not to, indicating some preference to work outside of the domestic environment among the workforce. The study sampled 1,830 respondents aged 16 and above.

“The way we work has changed forever, and the current state of knowledge work requires access to digital platforms and technologies to be successful,” says Holger Reisinger, SVP at Jabra.