The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped how we work, pushing millions of employees into remote work and accelerating the adoption of digital workspace tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
While this shift has brought some benefits, including more flexibility and reduced commuting time, it has also highlighted significant challenges. Isolation, reduced team cohesion, and the blurring of work-life boundaries are just a few of the issues workers and employers are grappling with.
In the past few years, Arena’s serviced offices have emerged as a solution for bringing people back together, encouraging collaboration, and restoring a sense of community in the workplace. They also enable some of the benefits of remote working, such as greater flexibility, shorter commutes as a result of our convenient locations, and not being tied into long leases. Serviced offices are the future for many businesses!
Reconnecting teams and creating a community in serviced offices
One of the key ways Arena Offices brings people together is by providing collaborative spaces for in-office days, accommodating brainstorming sessions, team-building activities, and client meetings. Many companies are adopting a blend of remote and in-office work, allowing employees to enjoy the benefits of both. Serviced offices provide a flexible solution for teams to meet in person when needed.
Our client, Transparity, opened a business hub in our Winnersh centre to provide a place for its entirely remote workforce to come together, socialise, and work in person. It has been a great success and has really helped its team come together when needed.
By offering a professional and fully equipped environment, these spaces make it easier for employees to transition between remote and in-office work. Additionally, the ability to gather in a shared physical space helps to strengthen relationships and improve communication, which is often compromised in a purely virtual setting.
Moreover, the Arena community is made up of clients from a range of communities and professionals from different industries and backgrounds. This diversity can lead to valuable exchanges of ideas and networking opportunities that might not occur in a traditional, single-company office or remote working setting.
Finally, one of the most significant benefits of serviced offices is the sense of community they create. Our centres often organise events, workshops, and social activities to bring clients together. These events can range from industry-specific workshops to casual networking lunches and wellness classes such as Pilates.
Supporting wellbeing and work-life balance
The pandemic emphasised the importance of mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and serviced offices are increasingly incorporating wellness features into their spaces. Our attention to detail, from air quality to interior design, ensures that stepping into an Arena office is a breath of fresh air. We believe that a stress-free environment contributes to overall wellbeing and enhances professional performance.
Additionally, the flexible nature of serviced offices allows employees to better manage their work-life balance. By providing a professional space close to home and in convenient locations for transport links, our offices can reduce commuting times and offer a clear separation between work and personal life, which is essential for maintaining mental wellbeing.
Flexibility during uncertain times
We offer fully equipped workspaces on flexible terms. Unlike traditional office leases, these spaces come with a range of services, such as an on-site centre team, high-speed internet, meeting rooms, communal areas, administrative support, parking and refreshments, making our centres an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
We also assist our clients in scaling up or down as needed, a feature that appeals to many businesses in the current uncertain economic climate. Unlike being tied to a traditional lease, businesses here can scale flexibly.
Overall, Arena Offices is proving to be a crucial resource for bringing people together and restoring the sense of community that many have missed. By offering flexible, well-equipped, and collaborative spaces, Arena Offices support hybrid work models, enhance innovation, promote wellbeing, and build strong professional networks.