Remote work
Companies are struggling to get their employees to return to the office (ROT).
Employees are willing to quit their jobs in order to work from home.
There’s a gap!
Did we reach a compromise and find a solution? - We might just have.
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Key Takeaways
By opening any social media page, on any of the platforms, you will find tons of posts that promote remote work, complaints about being required to get back to the office or gushing about flexible work hours.
“Remote” and “Hybrid” work are buzz words nowadays. As a matter of fact, they’ve been present during and since the pandemic.
However, shortly before this year’s ‘Future of Everything’ conference hosted by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), we’ve introduced a new buzzword - the “Third Space”.
Let’s talk about it and found out if that’s the “new” solution.
Companies want their employees to gather together and work under one roof.
Their case for returning to the office is teamwork, camaraderie, collaboration, and pushing each other forward.
There’s some truth in it. Organisations might benefit from interactions to generate creativity and innovation.
Employees have said how much they miss those things as well.
Employees want productivity. This means an end to wasteful meetings that keep them from leaving the office on time and spending more time with family and friends.
Remote work can provide a sanctuary from wasteful practices.
It can help employees stay focused.
So, what if organisations create Third Spaces that accomplish both?
They bring people together (what companies want) and provide the focus to get stuff done (which is what employees want).
Maybe initially Third Spaces could be designated for work teams and, based on the results, expanded to other groups.
There is a huge potential in this market where employees are looking forward to spending time in a Third Space.
The third space involves the fusion of local and remote participants simultaneously or asynchronously.
It is a transformative social place that allows team-building dynamics and developing a culture of networked space.
It is designed to blur real and remote spatial dimensions through the collapse of boundaries.
Participants feel engaged through the ability to defy distance and connect no matter where.
The concept of the third space extends the pure models (remote and office first) into the online medium by suggesting a hybrid space.
This allows remote participants to transcend the limitations of spatial, geographic, and cultural differences as they engage with one another across vast distances.
The Third Space opens the door to the heightened, extra-sensory qualities of a group experience:
On the other hand, the third space experience simultaneously allows participants to have alone time to think and focus on their projects, gather inspiration from the surroundings, draw ideas from the group conversations and work on their tasks.
They are not confined to their home or office environment.
They are not distracted by any regular, day-to-day activities. People have freedom to work from individual desire and rhythm.
Here lies the rationale for the Third Space Network: it is a place of motivation through forms of creativity, social interaction, and artistic expression that have erupted in the age of the network.
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Having a third option to do some work isn’t a new concept. We’ve been hearing about it for years with the “workacions” (work vacation) and the remote work offices for digital nomads.
But there’s a big difference between providing a venue for 50 people that serves lunch, coffee, and relaxing music where you can sit on a table or a sofa to do work and a Third Space venue.
Lately, companies have been trying to replicate this “coffee-shop experience” where people can meet, talk and get together in a corporate venue for work and retreat.
This means having the capacity to accommodate hundreds of people and put them in an environment that’s completely different from their home or regular office but is still equipped with the technology and comforts to do work without carrying your tech gadgets with you.
Third Space venues are more of a hotel with large relaxing communal spaces situated in rural (mountain) or beach surroundings.
Each room is equipped with big monitors to hook up your computer to, high-res cameras, quality microphones, and lighting for your business calls with the best Wi-Fi speed you can get.
The meals are overseen by professional chefs and the kitchen is open if somebody wants to cook.
It is a blend between work, leisure, sports activities, education, and wellness.
These are some of the features of Third Space venues:
The Third Space venues aren’t necessarily located in secluded areas.
Some of them are being built in the suburbs of big cities. Companies that invest in these projects are also aware of their employees’ home proximity and look to provide venues nearby.
The purpose of the third-space experience is to be able to remove yourself from your home and office distractions and enjoy doing your work in the most comfortable and productivity-inducing environment that will reduce stress.
There are many companies that are trying to fill the third space.
Big businesses see the opportunity to make money and offer services that are in high demand.
Organisations with hundreds or even thousands of employees suffered due to the pandemic.
Even though it was a bitter pill to swallow, they now understand that the future of work is disrupted and started thinking about how to capitalise on the fact that their employees are not eager to get back to the office full time.
Here is a list of some of the forward-thinking companies that invest in third-space venues for their teams and for rent.
There are more Third Space locations you can choose from, one of them currently being built on the Las Vegas Strip!
These employee retreat workspaces can become important corporate destinations and business networking hubs.
They can change the tourist demographics and create a different business culture worldwide.
Remote work hasn’t only changed the way we think about work and how we approach it, but it is progressing the way we feel about it by crushing all existing boundaries and geography.
With the development of Meta and its virtual offices and meeting locations, we’re starting to develop a very liberal approach to work where literally, the world is in our palm.
Do you need qualified remote professionals in your business?
Our team at Talentroo will assist you immediately.
Get in touch with us at mail@talentroo.com to set up a call.
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