The decentralisation of corporate office buildings

Companies would be wise to not view workplaces in a binary capacity. They should provide employees with a portfolio of technology-enabled solutions and locations to work where and how they choose.

Thanks to technology and the rise of the highly skilled knowledge worker, telecommuting has advanced in recent years to their many workers see the world as their office. They are increasingly moving fluidly between offices in different cities, between client sites and every airport, hotel, coffee shop and Uber in between, ultimately taking the opportunity to work from a place of choice that is more convenient to their personal life when their schedule permits.

This doesn’t mean that the corporate office buildings will go by the wayside. Workers may visit less frequently but when they do, they will expect to collaborate with co-workers for intense, uninterrupted periods during which certain projects must get done. To meet those demands and to encourage that degree of face-to-face interaction, employers must create spaces that cultivate the creative output of highskilled workers and make them feel valued and productive while they’re there. That means providing employees a greater feeling of welcome and belonging, and a real chance to engage with the culture of the organization.