Working in London used to be synonymous with early morning overcrowded trains, busy tubes and lengthy waits at a coffee shop, until now that is.
The areas outside of city centres are in growing demand as more businesses adopt hybrid working and employees are given the freedom to work from where they want. These places are beginning to boom, not just with people looking for places to live, but people looking for places to work which are closer to their homes.
IWG, the world’s leading provider of flexible workspaces, is leading the way with the transition to hybrid working, encouraging and facilitating businesses and workers alike to rethink working. Its insights has shown the rapid adoption of shared office space, especially in outer city areas and is why it opened Spaces Finsbury Park, to accommodate this new trend of ‘working near home’. With access to multiple tube lines, newly regenerated areas and green spaces to enjoy, Finsbury Park is an idea place for people to live and now work, striking a more balanced work-life way of living.
This shift in working patterns was accelerated by the pandemic, with more businesses adopting a more flexible and hybrid model that enables people to work in a satellite office within walking or cycling distance of their homes. Employers and employees alike have witnessed and experienced the benefits this has on company overheads, employee wellbeing and improving productivity and the trend, also known as the ’15-minute commute’, is at the heart of IWG’s expansion. Everyone has the right to work how they see fit, and now the people of Finsbury Park can do the same.
In fact, IWG research shows that three times more FTSE 250 companies are looking to adopt the hybrid property model compared to those that plan to continue as they were before the pandemic. During 2021 and into 2022, IWG has been seeing some of the highest rises in demand for space from companies looking for suburban and rural locations – as well as those away from the city-centre hubs that used to dominate the office landscape.
Companies are embracing the many benefits of hybrid working and by providing teams a workspace close to home, they’re giving people the opportunity to meet colleagues, network, bounce ideas around and work in the way that’s most productive for them. That’s why amongst IWG’s most recent additions isa new 18,500 sq.mt workspace in Finsbury Park. Customers have access to a whole host of on demand services including meeting rooms, IT services, telephone answering and can also use any of the 3,500 locations worldwide.
Located in the newly regenerated area directly outside the tube station in Zone 2, Spaces Finsbury Park is just a stone’s throw away from cafes, restaurants, gyms, stores and a cinema. The flexible workplace is finished to the highest standard with floor to ceiling windows providing a bright environment, as well as bike racks and showers for office workers.
The space has 82 offices, 30 co-working desks and three meeting rooms available, providing the perfect balance of flexible workspaces for collaborating with others and also areas for workers to get their heads down when needed.
The demand for hybrid work is growing quickly and IWG is expanding rapidly to meet this demand . With the aim of opening over 1,000 new centres over the next year, IWG is actively looking for more property owners to partner with to open locations outside of the traditional business districts. It’s clear that hybrid working is here to stay.
Not only is it good for employees and the businesses, but it’s better for the environment too – minimising car exhaust fumes from the daily commute has an immediate impact on damaging emissions such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and many others (including, of course, carbon dioxide). In Spaces Finsbury Park, the natural lighting on both sides of the building helps reduce energy usage while its location means the workspace can be accessed directly from Finsbury Park station.
The benefits aren’t restricted to employees. Companies are also seeing multiple gains: when you take fixed overheads into account, including rent, heating and support staff, hybrid-embracing employers are saving an average of about £9,000 per employee per year. Not only that, but they’re also able to recruit the best talent from right across the world. About half of employees IWG spoke to in a recent survey said they would change jobs rather than go back to commuting five days a week.
Spaces Finsbury Park is just the most recent addition in IWG’s portfolio, bringing the convenience and flexibility of hybrid working to Zone 2, with many more planned including Battersea and Shepherds Bush. IWG looks forward to welcoming more Londoners embracing the new normal of ‘working near home’ and the spectacular work-life benefits that it brings.
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