Arnolds Keys: Why you should review office space requirements

As the post-pandemic world settles, it is clear that such predictions were exaggerated, with the majority of private sector employers requiring most staff to return to the office. But it is also clear that the office has changed for good – and now is a good time to review and reassess office space requirements.

Arnolds Keys managing partner Guy Gowing (Image: Arnolds Keys)

Any office has to fulfil four basic criteria: it has to be fit for purpose, meeting the needs of the business and the aspirations of its staff; it has to be the right size; it has to be in the right location; and it has to be the right cost.

For most businesses, office space is in their top five costs. Occupiers need to consider not just the rent (which may not have risen as fast as other outgoings), but business rates, service charges and especially energy. In periods of inflation and economic challenge, it is important that offices deliver value. A large, under-occupied, expensive-to-heat office could be swapped for a smaller, energy-efficient office. 

The office has become the epicentre of collaborative working – the space where creativity and motivation are nurtured. Hybrid working is also now embedded in some workplaces, so the needs of both employers and employees has changed. The environment needs to be conducive to this. That might mean more break-out spaces, flexible hot-desking and a greater number of meeting rooms.

The quality of the office environment – including even ancillaries such as toilets, accessibility and air conditioning – is a vital part of any business’s HR strategy in attracting and retaining good people. 

After three years of not really knowing what the future of office working would look like, we now have some clarity. With a continued lack of quality office spaces in Norwich, there has never been a better time to get some expert analysis on your office needs – and how they can be better met.

For more information, visit arnoldskeys.com