How Do You Make An Office Space Worth The Commute?

Gone are the days of heading to the office and working in a stale cubicle under fluorescent lights. Today’s workers are gravitating toward more dynamic spaces that offer them a sense of community and a boost in productivity.

The proof is in the numbers. Over the past five years, demand for flexible workspaces in Canada has increased by nearly 20%, while supply has grown by almost 10% during the same period. Additionally, about 50% of the Canadian workforce reported their strong preference for a hybrid work schedule, further illustrating that flexibility is a top priority for today’s workforce.

Kane Willmott, co-founder and CEO of iQ Offices, Canada’s largest Canadian-owned coworking firm, said that employers need to be thinking: How can they best accommodate their employees' evolving demands? How can they make their space worth the commute?

The answer, he said, is prioritizing well-designed, amenity-rich workspaces that provide an elevated experience.

“There’s a new commuter equation in today’s office market: employees need a reason to return to the office,” Willmott said.

The Importance Of Premium Design, Modern Amenities

The significance of office design cannot be understated, Willmott said. And it goes far beyond hanging pictures to make the space feel more inviting. 

In a survey conducted by iQ and Maru Public Opinion, 76% of respondents reported that a well-designed office space filled with amenities, high-end services and an ideal location would make them more likely to return to the office. 

However, 43% of respondents reported that their current office accommodations do not meet this standard. Right now, many companies are risking a big, and potentially costly, disconnect between what employees want and what they’re offering. 

“If I come into the office and there’s way too much space and not enough people, I don’t want to be there,” he said. “It’s like going into an empty restaurant, or one that’s too noisy. If the balance isn’t right, it's not comfortable.”

To Willmott, creating a variety of work environments and implementing community-driven amenities, such as social spaces, outdoor terraces and wellness rooms, makes employees feel supported and motivated throughout their work day. 

High-quality interior trimmings and stylish furniture are also important, of course.

“The key is choice,” Willmott said. “You want to have a number of environments so that you have options because everyone has unique working styles and preferences. In addition to that, you want to activate those spaces through community events or networking socials so they’re very inviting and welcoming.”

At iQ Offices, prospective members can choose from custom headquarters space, move-in ready private workspaces, on-demand private offices, virtual offices or daily meeting rooms. It doesn’t matter if the company is two people or 200 — iQ Offices can accommodate all shapes, sizes and workstyles.

All of iQ Offices’ inventory consists of private offices, designed to meet the needs of enterprise clients. More than 85% of these offices are occupied by enterprise companies — organizations with a minimum of 100 employees and an international footprint. This challenges the notion that coworking space is only for start-ups or individuals.

“We’ve really experienced a shift in the value proposition, with more enterprise companies and larger organizations starting to use coworking space,” he said. 

Regardless of company size or membership type, amenities are in no short supply at iQ’s offices. Some of these amenities and services include complimentary food and beverages, tech-enabled meeting rooms, private phone booths, wellness areas, treadmill workstations and mail handling. 

“The only reason to ever spend a dollar on office space is to attract, retain and engage the best talent,” Willmott said. “If you’re not doing those three things, you shouldn’t invest in office space. You should have a fully remote team.”

Hospitality and Personalized Experiences

While having a thoughtfully designed space is key, it’s equally as important to have the right people within these spaces to make the office experience more personalized and welcoming. 

“It’s not necessarily the reception desk, it’s who’s sitting at reception,” Willmott said. “It’s not the free drinks at happy hour, it’s the people curating that happy hour to make it welcoming, enjoyable and full of connections.”

According to Willmott, a seamless, personalized experience is something that cannot be created by hiring just anybody.

iQ’s on-site teams at each of its eight locations across Canada are hand-selected to provide its members with a best-in-class experience, he said. All staff have one thing in common: a true service mindset.

“When we hire, we look for people who genuinely love making others happy,” he said. “The hospitality experience is something we spend a lot of time on. It’s a core tenet of how we operate. It’s really about making people feel welcome.”

Unlike more traditional office spaces, in coworking spaces members can forge relationships over days, months or even years with other members or building staff. Staff members can become integral parts of iQ’s members, oftentimes being the first point of contact if a company’s client visits their office space. 

First impressions matter greatly. That’s why choosing the right staff is incredibly vital to the success of an office space. 

“We keep a high staff-to-member ratio because people need time,” Willmott said. “We create the infrastructure to support our teams so they can do their best work, and in turn, help our members do theirs. That’s where the real impact comes from.”

The Future Of Office Has Arrived

The days of traditional office leasing have begun to fade away in favor of spaces that are flexible, scalable and offer an array of services and amenities, Willmott said. No more striking a deal with a landlord and paying out of pocket to outfit the space that will be outdated by the time it comes online.

“You're going to start to see office buildings operating more like a business than like a bond because it’s what the market demands,” he said. “Office is moving toward being more customer-centric. A landlord is far better equipped to handle construction than a tenant, whose business has nothing to do with glazing or HVAC.”

Willmott predicted that flexible office spaces, such as iQ Offices, will continue to gain traction and pick up market share. Today’s leaders are increasingly recognizing the importance of the office experience, but it’s difficult to deliver in office spaces. 

“Coworking is going to be a key piece of how buildings run more like businesses,” he said. “Any company with space under 5K SF should have flexible, coworking-style space to accommodate what their workers demand.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and iQ Offices. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.