2021 Office Trends

The workforce has been changed irrevocably due to the events of last year. While many 2021 trends were on an upward trajectory prior to 2020, the pandemic accelerated the process and also changed the way that businesses look at business operations.

No longer does “work” have to be done in one physical place. The companies of the future – both large and small – need to be agile and flexible to run operations from anywhere.

Being prepared for anything is on the minds of just about every corporate CEO and small business owner heading into 2021, which his shaping the office trends you can expect to see in the new year.

Hybrid Virtual + Physical Office Operations

A new model is emerging coming out of the pandemic and the related lockdowns, which is a hybrid virtual and physical working environment.

Both workers and employees alike have seen the benefits of a work-from-home model, including lower costs for everyone, higher productivity, and business continuity in the face of a crisis.

But as much as employees enjoy the freedom of working from home, they also can appreciate the importance of connecting with co-workers in the same space. Either through flex home/office working or use of meeting room rental from time to time.

A survey of 3,500 employees found that 64% of them wanted to spend at least some hours working in the same workspace as their colleagues, rather than being 100% work from home.

Rise of Coworking & Shared Office Spaces

Freelancers represent about 35% of the worldwide workforce and that number is expected to grow, reaching a majority of the workforce in the next few years. Add to this virtual company entrepreneurs, and you have a growing demand for shared office and coworking spaces.

These are open areas with multiple desks and working space that people can use “on demand” or reserve on a regular basis, so they have a dedicated desk.

Benefits include:

Quiet and professional place to work
Very affordable and low cost
Flexibility to use as you need it
Collaboration with other like-minded professionals
The feeling of being part of a professional community even if you work solo

84% of people using coworking spaces say that working in a shared office space makes them feel more motivated.

The Remote Employee is Becoming the Norm (Not the Exception)

There was a time when someone working from home was seen as an anomaly. But, during the pandemic, there was a time when most of the workforce was in a remote working situation.

This forced move to remote workers, made many companies realize that this model actually can work and be more cost efficient. Look for remote employees becoming the norm in 2021 and beyond rather than the exception.

Move to Virtual Desktops

A majority of businesses in the Tysons Corner area and around the country have made the transition to a cloud workflow. It allows their team much more flexibility, where work isn’t tied to a single device.

The next step is to completely remove dependence on a single workstation and also to facilitate a hybrid home/office workflow. By moving to virtual desktops, it accomplished both by allowing employees to log into their “main computer” from any location.

The fact that Microsoft has already brought out its own virtual desktop, means this trend is only going to accelerate this year.

The Importance of Home Office Space

With more people working from home, this means more attention being paid to home office spaces. People can only work from the kitchen table for so long before they need something more permanent for their remote workspace.

Look for those selling homes to advertise rooms that are “great for your home office” and lots of remodels going on that transition open space into dedicated home offices.

The home office is also going to be a big feature for those selling technology, furniture, and other trappings of a professional office environment that can be set up at home.

Rent-by-the-Hour Conference Rooms & Small Meeting Spaces

With so many companies utilizing remote teams and downsizing office space, and more people running businesses from home, there’s going to be an increased need for professional meeting spaces for special events, trainings, client meetings, and more.

Look for an increased demand in day rental offices for one-on-one client appointments as well as small or large conference rooms to accommodate in-person team meetings that will be needed throughout the year to keep people connected while they’re working remotely.

Coworking Space, Virtual Mail Services, Meeting Room Rental – Tysons Office Suites Has You Covered!

Tysons Office Suites has your 2021 needs covered! From great co-working spaces to meeting room rentals with all the modern amenities, we’re your office away from home.

Contact us today to find your perfect working space or virtual office option. Call 703-288-4001 or request a quote online.