A few years ago, it was easy enough to define what a workplace was. Even though virtual offices were already largely in use in those days, traditional was still the de facto choice for most businesses. A workplace was simply where you went, physically, to work.
Even today, many business owners are still hung up on the idea that workplace = fixed brick-and-mortar office, otherwise it won’t be effective. Maybe it has something to do with some types of work requiring a certain level of stability and face-to-face interaction to produce the desired results. But as technology has advanced and needs have changed, the lines between traditional and virtual workplaces have blurred, resulting in what we now recognize as the modern workplace.
What it is
The modern workplace leverages technology to allow businesses to achieve their collective goals BUT “technology” does not necessarily mean just an online setting. Different companies have different work requirements, so modern workplaces need to be flexible enough to address those exact needs. Just as no brick-and-mortar office is the same as the next, a modern workplace never follows a one-size-fits-all model, but is rather a bespoke solution.
The role of workspaces
While workplaces refer to the settings wherein businesses move toward their collective goals, workspaces are for the individual worker and his or her individual goals in the company context. The kind of workspace you should have depends on your role in the company and on the tools that help you maximize your own productivity. As for physical setting, a workspace can be anything from a cubicle to a home office to a coffee shop to a co-working café.
Mobility and you
If you think of an office simply as a place where you can get work done, then you can extend its actual location to wherever you are at the moment you’re working. And that’s not a bad thing.
More and more companies are embracing modern workplace mobility, with over 60% of US businesses offering their employees telework options. Even the federal government does it! According to Global Workplace Analytics, 157,682 federal employees did some form of remote work in 2012. What’s more, around 30% of the country’s workforce is made up of independent contractors doing business outside the confines of a traditional office. If the numbers are any indication, mobile workplaces work.
Productive technology
The modern workplace takes advantage of a host of productivity tools that speed up and simplify work. Time is money, whether you’re running a big corporation or a small startup, so productivity tools are an investment. Many third-party providers of virtual office solutions offer a suite of tools along with their services to keep costs down for the client.
A smarter way to work
A modern workplace prioritizes efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness, and at times completely eliminates the commute factor to make sure no effort is wasted. But it’s not just about minimizing cost and maximizing returns—it’s about understanding how workers perform best individually and as a team. Ultimately, it’s really just a smarter way to work.
About the Author: Kelly Bedsole lives in Reston, VA with her family.
She is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Metro Offices. She is responsible for the overall occupancy of the company.She loves to read novel books and enjoys her free time writing informative articles about business and news. Check out her articles at https://www.metroffice.com/category/blog/.
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