The world of work is still dwindling between hybrid, remote and in office. With new variants of the virus still posing a threat to the possibility of offices opening up a new trend at work has seemingly emerged. This is primarily the trend of working from neighbourhood co-working spaces that offer the choice of a flexi office space.

To understand this trend better and to know what the future of workspaces looks like, Amazing Workplaces had an interaction with Nikhil Madan, Co-Founder, The Office Pass(TOP). Here is an excerpt of the conversation.

What is the impact of COVID on the way people work?
COVID has not only impacted the personal lives of each one of us but its magnitude can also be seen in the way we all work today. It has unlocked umpteen possibilities with respect to how, when and where we work. It is definitely not about reaching office, doing the work, signing off, going home and recapping the same everyday anymore. Hybrid work environment, distributed workforces, flexi office spaces etc. are the need of the hour and have taken over the traditional concepts of working.

What is the current employee mindset about going back to work?

Basis my interaction with numerous employers at our neighbourhood coworking spaces across Delhi NCR I can undoubtedly say that they are torn between dealing with the workforce of two different mind sets: (A) who are enjoying Working from Home (B) those who desperately wish to Get back to office or to any other formal working environment.

While the preferred choice of non-executives due to the very nature of their individual roles & deliverables and relatively lesser dependency on other functions is option A; the senior management is inclined towards the latter one as they are fatigued with virtual coordination & calls with the teams.

Going forward, what according to you is going to be the top priority for organizations?
I feel organizations have to understand and listen to the needs of both the set of employees and carefully work towards addressing their desires and expectations. It would not only help to retain and attract the talent as they would feel they are being listened but would also bridge this disconnect between the likings of the two diverse mind sets.

Largely, the top priority for any organization will be to break the shackles and provide possibilities to employees to explore hybrid work environment, flexible timings, work from neighbourhood coworking spaces or any such option which would empower them to decide on when and where to work.

How can co-working spaces provide a balance between hybrid and remote working? What are the advantages of working from a co-working setup?
Due to COVID when companies shut down their offices or restricted its access for its employees; they all ecstatically welcomed the Work From Home concept irrespective of their level, function and industry. Gradually, over a few months the joy of working in an informal environment started to fade away for both employers and employees and the need arose for a flexibility to conveniently toggle between operating from the comforts of home and a formal work set up.

This is where coworking spaces like The Office Pass fit in the bill as our neighbourhood coworking spaces are Ready to Move, High Quality, Offer Flexibility, Follow COVID Safety Protocols, Help Save Substantial Cost, Take away all the hassles of office operations from employers, are Easily Accessible and Significantly Reduce the Travel Time.

In the current scenario, what do you feel is the future of work and workspaces?
As the pandemic has completely altered the way we all work now, one can confidently say that the Hybrid work environment, distributed workforces and flexible office spaces are here to stay. In fact, virtual meetings, video calls, cloud collaboration and hybrid working are new normal and are already acceptable part of our work life.

And the pace of digital innovation & penetration at workspaces like Augmented Reality, IoT, Smart Sensors, Voice and Facial Recognition services, App controlled devices, Thermal Screening, etc. would further transform the workspaces and the way we would work in the foreseeable future.

Nikhil Madan, Co-founder, The Office Pass (TOP)
Nikhil steers the revenue and member experience. With years of experience in client engagement & servicing, he aims to bring exceptional experience for members at every touch point of the company & foster a collaborative community. Before founding The Office Pass, he spent a decade with Makaan.com to set up and drive multiple key functions. He is a Management graduate from IP University, Delhi and completed PGDBA in Marketing from Symbiosis, Pune. He is a foodie and firmly believes in ‘Work Hard, Party Harder’.Profile of The Office Pass. of The Office Pass(TOP).

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