The dynamics of teleworking is not only changing the way in which internal processes are stipulated within companies, but now, even, spaces have had to adapt looking for the best way to return to face-to-face.
(See: What is the future of work in Latin America?).
In an interview with Portfolio, Claudia Woods, CEO of WeWork, digital platform that provides flexible workspace services, told how this adaptation process is taking over offices.
How does WeWork work and what is the advantage it has over the conventional office?
Since the company was launched in Colombia four years ago, the value proposition, which is what we talked about with the CEOs and with the companies, was mainly flexibility, so it is being able to have an office in one place or a very special location in buildings. normally premium, we wanted to offer this proposal to all companies, to have spaces for communication, community, stations, in addition to the relationship with others, that is how the spaces are designed, to interact with others.
(See: The sectors that contribute the most to productivity in Colombia).
What changes have you seen in the Colombian market?
There is a very fast change, companies are thinking differently, before the boss gave a structure and it had to be followed, now the employees are saying, “Look I don’t want to go to the office every day, I don’t want to stay in traffic two hours a day to go to the same place always”, they also do not want at the same times. In this way, the change of power is the part that is bringing all this transformation of companies that are looking for models like WeWork, that is, sometimes companies look for a job for two people, or to decide in which spaces they work. which people on certain days, also, if the offices are full, they can use more spaces as meeting rooms.
What are those employee benefits?
Companies seek to have more locations to have more options, it is not that employees do not want to go, it is that we seek a decentralization of work, in this way people have a place to work closer to their son’s school, among others.
Before this was unthinkable, now with this hub and spoke model, they have greater flexibility and the supplies of their office at hand. And well, employers, they can see where they are, where.
Claudia Woods, CEO of WeWork.
How does space rental work?
There is an all access membership, where you can rent spaces for hours, days or use, there is also a single price, with unlimited access for the whole month where you can use WeWork from around the world.
We do a test to find out what is best and then adapt it to have greater flexibility.
Now many companies have sought us out because they hired in a pandemic, for example, in 2019 they had 500 employees and they increased to 1,000, there we will continue working and accompanying in that process.
(See: What to invest in when there is high inflation? This advises Elon Musk).
RETURN TO THE OFFICE
For Woods, companies are trying to find the optimal route to return to the offices, including teaching them to return. “With our model we can see how people are coming back, how often and so we help make a more permanent decision.”, he indicated.
Woods also highlighted Colombia as one of the countries where face-to-face is being taken up again faster in companies, approximately “42% of members are retaking at least once a week, which is quite high, in Canada or the United States, they are close to 20%”.
(See: Outstanding debt: gender equality in the labor market).
Likewise, the company carried out a study where it showed between 10,000 collaborators from different companies that 82% wanted to return to the offices, but under the hybrid model (a few days at home and others at the company).
PAULA GALEANO BALAGUERA
Journalist Portfolio
[email protected]
