Viewpoint: Everyone wins when we work from anywhere

Workers are finding the environment of a hotel or restaurant creative and inspiring – so why not use that to your advantage, asks Nick Stevens

Read any of the business pages lately, and it will strike you that the debate on working from home (WFH) is far from over. The Times reported that employers are “turning away from WFH candidates”, with 22% of bosses saying they would be less inclined to hire someone requesting hybrid work at interview stage.

However, that might well make hiring difficult, because research suggests that companies with flexible remote working policies are finding it easier to hire compared to those with full-time, in-office policies. The Daily Mail has reported that new graduates are even requesting 100% WFH, with some even refusing to do in-person interviews.

Nespresso Professional supplies coffee to more than 8,000 businesses across the UK, from SMEs to FTSE 100 companies, and we conducted our own research around the trend of employees adopting a more flexible working week. Our findings suggest that hybrid work is still popular, with employees adopting a varying work pattern.

Hotels, restaurants, gyms, libraries and even bars and parks were all recorded as places that workers have set up shop for the day if they’re able to work remotely. This communal or socialising location is sometimes called a ‘third space’ and it is increasingly popular with employees who have the ability to work flexibly.

The office, the home and a third space all play a defining role in the new working-from-anywhere approach. The convergence of the workplace and hospitality sector represents a real opportunity for venues such as restaurants, hotels and gyms that may have already started to create bespoke offerings for customers who are looking to balance working in the office with working elsewhere.

It’s no secret that the hospitality sector has faced strong economic headwinds lately. From the cost of living crisis to inflation making headlines weekly, as well as the ongoing repercussions of Covid-19, the industry has had to adapt to build resilience in tough times. This new kind of customer could provide a valuable lifeline.

On the other hand, businesses looking to entice workers back to the office can learn from the third space trend to keep employees engaged and inspired. This matters because 62% of office workers say they wish their office was a more inspiring environment, with employees of large businesses most likely to agree.

At the same time, 54% of respondents said they would go into their office more if it was more inspiring and 73% agreed their work environment impacts their productivity.

Catering can be an important piece to the puzzle. The most common reasons cited for choosing to work in a third space like a coffee shop or a hotel were “to have a change of scenery” and “to enjoy the food and drink available”. Upgrading your food and drink suppliers to meet or exceed employee expectations might well encourage more trips to the office.

However, a truly work-from-anywhere approach could be a win for everyone and give workers the flexibility to find inspiration elsewhere every now and then, whilst supporting local high streets and venues at the same time. We can and will work with businesses to create concepts that meet the needs of workers today.

This trend is no flash in the pan. The next generation of employees is bringing fresh ideas and expectations to the workplace – and we found that 80% of those aged 18 to 34 would like the opportunity to work from a third space. However, it is the most senior employees – including business owners or those at board level – that are making the most of third spaces. As many as 70% say they have worked from one in the past 12 months versus just 28% of employees with no managerial responsibility. Businesses would do well to embrace the opportunity and update their ways of working so that employees of all ages and seniorities can make the most of third spaces.

If you can work from anywhere, do consider grabbing a coffee or a sandwich at a local venue while you work. That support could make all the difference and our research tells us that most people find these environments inspiring and productive when they work – a win-win.

Nick Stevens is B2B commercial director (UK and Ireland) at Nespresso Professional