How IWG Helps Organizations Provide the Key Amenities Employees are Looking for Today

International Workplace Group (IWG), the 3,300-location flexible workspace global powerhouse parent of Regus, a professional workplace brand; Spaces, a creative workplace brand; HQ, a hassle-free workplace brand; and Signature, a luxurious workspace brand, has announced plans to increase its Americas footprint. The concept plans to add 1,000 more locations under agreement next year, with the majority coming from business investors, building owners and institutional developers who want to fill empty spaces and generate revenue and operating income. 

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, 90% of workers in North America are working in a more flexible way and 88% of companies are supporting those workers. This unprecedented trend is bringing about the most structurally-focused shift in the history of commercial real estate as business investors look for ways to cater to that demand and invest in flexible workspaces. 

But as employees increasingly make their needs heard, not just any workspace space will do. “It has to go beyond a great space,” said IWG CEO of the Americas Wayne Berger. “Employers’ teams are more spread out, which means they need more support from us to ensure all workers everywhere are having the same quality-of-life experience.”

To start, Berger says location and convenience may be the number one amenity employees are looking for. In other words: avoiding the commute. This aligns with the emerging concept of the 15-Minute City. Employees want to live, work and play, all within a 5-to-15-minute commute. A recent IWG poll of Gen Z workers (who are set to make up more than a quarter of the global workforce by 2025) found that, “85% want to be able to use an office close to home.” In a separate IWG survey, “77% of workers said a place to work closer to home was a must-have for their next job move.”

“There is so much demand in markets all over North America,” Berger said. “We are really shifting to a new economic approach in which people want to live, work and access services close by. That means smaller towns are a perfect place for coworking. Instead of traveling to the closest large city to work everyday, people from these towns have access to work closer to home.” 

IWG used to primarily grow in downtowns and then moved to the suburbs. Now, they are seeing a huge acceleration of demand in small towns of 10,000 to 15,000 people because workers want to stay close to home. 

Once the actual geography is right, employees of today are really looking for a nice, club-level flexible workspace experience, Berger said. 

“For example, health and wellness is now the number one benefit people are thinking about when joining or staying with a company — superseding pay, bonus and title,” said Berger. “It can’t be ignored. That is why IWG provides employees and employers with all the benefits they need for a fulfilling experience, whether it be fitness or gym memberships, access to programs and events, etc.” 

In a recent IWG survey, 70% of UK office workers said that a good workplace benefits package had become more important to them in the last two years. And an IWG survey of 1,000 HR executives in the U.S. found that 88% believed they could reduce staff turnover if they offered more appealing benefits.

IWG has also invested more into technology since that is such a key tool that allows for successful hybrid working — very few remote companies are providing the necessary tools workers need to WFH comfortably full-time and meet the company’s I.T. security protocols.

“It is not about working from home, it is about flexibility,” said Berger. “Workers have demonstrated that the more they feel empowered to have a choice, the greater results for organizations. Everyone wants to be treated like an adult. They are paid to achieve goals and results for the organization. They want the ability to do that wherever they see fit.” 

In a recent webinar, 1851 Franchise Publisher Nick Powills, IWG Regional Director of Partnership Growth Ryan Semler and IWG CEO of the Americas Wayne Berger discussed how IWG has seen record-breaking agreements with business investors to turn empty building space into profitable revenue. Watch the full video here.

For partnership opportunities, visit: https://www.iwgplc.com/en-gb/develop-a-location.