Given the recent contingency, the new extended teleworking practices and home office They have changed the paradigm of the office, as it has been seen until now . From this time of transition it is expected that there will, in general, be a change of model.
This modification considers a tendency to do remote jobs and turn dynamics into a mixed system , that combines face-to-face activities (collaboration, teamwork) with others at a distance (procedural, administrative). It all depends on the turn of the company and the evaluation in terms of productivity (1).
It is estimated a decrease of 30 to 35% in the amount
of people who will return to work in the office (1).
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But nevertheless, these spaces are still an appropriate place to gather the work team . Although the coronavirus pandemic has reordered labor, commercial and industrial dynamics, and has turned them towards digital, physical spaces continue to fulfill specific functions for certain businesses.
These functions focus on becoming visible to the competition, giving personal attention to the client, holding important meetings, placing employees in a space of identity, among other relevant activities.
Undoubtedly, the contingency has positioned people and businesses at a critical and reflective moment, with unprecedented adjustments for virtually every industry.
Especially, in the case of real estate, various scenarios and strategies are being considered that allow to continue supporting projects, businesses and companies, at the same time that policies are carried out in tune with the continuity and productivity of the companies, the trends in the market, the particular situations within the businesses and the health regulations at the federal and local levels.
If you want to know more about the changes in real estate after the contingency, we suggest you read: “Real estate in CDMX: guide to trends, companies and recommendations after the pandemic” .
Comparison of the characteristics of offices for rent after the pandemic
It is important to consider the characteristics that had been developed as part of the concept of modern offices, to update the perspective and know the changes that are coming for each of these terms as a result of the pandemic (2):
Ergonomic furniture. Whether you have a furnished office or not, it is important to consider the comfort of the space for your employees and clients, with the idea of avoiding stressful situations that may cause physical problems, while at the same time promoting concentration in a peaceful environment. This must also be consistent with the image you want to project.
2. Multifunctional spaces. Many offices that have been adapted or built from the ground up to accommodate a variety of activities, such as meetings, relaxation, meals and exercise in the same place, are reconsidering the multifunctionality of spaces in terms of sanitation. At this point it is important to point out the trend of mixed uses that suggests the coexistence of residential, commercial and work spaces in the same building: apartments, local , malls, wineries and offices.
Integrated technology. This will help to streamline processes, improve the employees’ stay and facilitate the development of activities. Above all, after the pandemic, it will be necessary to exhaust resources and tools to maintain sanitation and hygiene provisions in workplaces and promote healthy distance, in addition to resolving communications remotely through technology.
4. Collaborative environments. Although the recent trend has been towards coworking, where Mexico ranked first in Latin America (3), with large open spaces to promote communication, productivity and creativity, in the new context activities are reduced and specified, as well as those in charge of executing them, in private and safe spaces Therefore, the collaboration takes on a digital turn or, in any case, mixed.
5. Open spaces. This point, especially, has been emphasized due to the new regulations, where it is necessary to have good ventilation and lighting, although in a controlled manner to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.
If there was an approximate calculation of one square meter
per person, it will now be 1.5 m2 (4).
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Although some of these changes and adjustments were already being made, at this time, more than being a plus, will be the standard sanitary that will be required in all spaces.
Especially when considering the high number of workers in Mexico City and its metropolitan area, which is little more than 1 million 867 thousand peopledistributed in 11 high-demand office areasPolanco, Reforma, Lomas Palmas, Santa Fe, Insurgentes, Periférico Norte, Periférico Sur, Interlomas, Lomas Altas, Bosques and Azcapotzalco (5).
At Vallejo Properties we have office space for rent in the Vallejo, Polanco and Juárez neighborhood, which are areas strategic in economic activity, industrial and commercial of Mexico City . If you want to know more details about its characteristics, Get in contact with us.
If what interests you are commercial premises, we share a guide in this regard:
“Rent of commercial premises in CDMX: costs and benefits”.
Post-pandemic Office Rental Outlook
Within the context that is looming for the office rental sector, both for those who lease and for those who want to expand their business, there are important scenarios that must be taken into account.
Home office permanence
People who had not been able to work in this way until now may find it more stimulating and productive to do it remotely, to save time and travel expenses and also carry out other activities relegated until then, which have to do with the personal and domestic.
For companies this represents a very strong investment in terms of absolute digitization and that could take , or be impossible to do in some cases, depending on the business and the economic and development scope of the company (1).
Mixed model
In this scheme, which is being seriously considered by many companies, you can combine the assistance of a few days a week or fortnight in the office, to fulfill specific tasks and events .
People who consider it important to satisfy socialization and teamwork will value these spaces in offices equipped for such dynamics, while being able to work remotely and stay in communication, without this representing a decrease in the performance and productivity of the company (1).
Total return to the office
In some cases, depending on the business and the possibilities of the company, the complete digitization of the business will be an issue to be developed. Meanwhile, it will become necessary to return to the new normal by implementing all the sanitary provisions.
In the case of people who do not have an adequate space to work from home, in terms of furniture, equipment and / or internet connection, in addition to difficulties in family life, in terms of discipline and productivity, they may prefer this order related to a traditional scheme of schedules and spaces (1).
Only in CDMX, the main office corridors
they concentrate more than 1.8 million people daily (4).
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Suggestions for the current situation
Whatever decision is made regarding the model, it must be carried out in coordination and planning with the people or the corresponding work team. , to maintain productivity rates, and progressively increase them, in addition to planning convenient spaces and hours to work, trying to optimize this part.
In Vallejo Properties we are aware of these changes in the industry and the world, so you can count on us in order to make an orderly transition for your business , in terms of a search for space conditioned to the new provisions.
If what you are looking for is more information about the current panorama of the winery sector, consult: “Warehouses: trends, projections and recommendations for the sector after the pandemic”.
As part of the panorama, new contracting agreements are envisioned, which will seek to maintain the office rental market with adequate prices for clients and suppliers.
Also, it is very important accept that the conception of the office is changing, in the sense of being considered a place to make connections and achieve collaboration in a strategic way, and no longer as a space that must be attended daily (6).
In fact, this can be clearly seen with the concept of oficina virtualThe company was presented several years ago as an option where you could have a business address, with telephone services, mail, courier, accommodation of furniture, provision of meeting rooms for communication purposes for suppliers, customers, partners, managers and employees, without the need for daily attendance (7).
This implies that the control of the space must be maintained electronically, as a solution that allows expanding the business in the face of reduced costs, with an avant-garde and flexible profile that, in addition, ensures a space without representing a health risk for people or an economic risk for companies. (7).
If you want to consult more information about other types of properties, such as industrial warehouses, check: “Industrial warehouses: characteristics, areas and recommendations”.
Recommendations for office rental after the pandemic
It is very important to take into account that the reorganization of spaces is aimed at complying with health, safety, cleanliness, building and design issues.Therefore, adaptations will have to be made to existing spaces and new construction projects will have to be generated to consider this paradigm. For some companies, these current guidelines consist of (8) (4):
– Install systems that regulate temperature, humidity rate and air purification.
– Redesign offices based on “healthy distance”, for example, with the return of cubicles to create physical separation.
– Signaling the measures to be considered at different times and spaces, such as elevators, bathrooms and corridors, so that the indications of “sneeze etiquette”, hand cleaning and temperature monitoring are followed.
– Integrate the use of antibacterial gel, mouthwash dispensers and wet wipes, especially in shared areas such as restrooms, meeting rooms, printing areas or telephone booths.
– Change the placement of furniture, especially in common areas, to reduce capacity in certain spaces and avoid overcrowding.
– Build with antimicrobial materials to make office buildings sustainable and hygienic. This includes building wide, one-way corridors.
– Avoid contact with buttons, doorknobs and light switches. Some companies are currently planning to access them using voice commands.
– Clean desks constantly, which means removing decorative or personal items (such as photos, which can be placed in cabinets) to reduce points of contagion.
– Create specific protocols for the reception and sanitization of parcels.
– Provide for additional costs for cleaning and disinfection activities.
– Evaluate staff, determining who is essential in the office and who can work from home. Based on that selection, staff and work schedules can also be staggered by crews.
– Implement digital forms of contact and communication.
– Reducing the number of offices and concentrating them in more strategic or central areas.
– Consider a separate laptop for each employee.
– Continue to use the videoconferencing resource, even if they are in the same office.
As you see, These new measures require primary attention to achieve the transition to the new normal. . For this reason, we recommend having a special department within your work team, which is in charge of monitoring, at all times, compliance with the sanitary measures within the company, and of proposing others, if necessary.
If you want to know more about other types of spaces, such as an industrial warehouse, consult:
“Industrial building: guide with everything you need to know”.
Trends in office rental in the post-pandemic
There are different scenarios to address this transition. Some companies are moving to smaller offices and they are rooting their collaborators to avoid crowds.
There are also those that are moving to larger offices to keep a similar number of employees in spaces where they can comply with the “healthy distance” measures. Even, there are companies that have decided to rent more offices to be able to distribute to the work teams , according to their departmental areas (9).
Flexibility is the key to adapting your business at this time, by synchronizing the creation of safe spaces with an ideal business model for you.
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In the case of large companies, such as Dell, have reaffirmed that they will continue to need offices because there are tasks that cannot be performed elsewhere. (10), especially if they work with special equipment or facilities, or handle information that cannot, or should not, be reviewed in domestic spaces with open Internet connections (9).
The key is in the evaluation and the capacity of distribution and adaptation for the time , especially in terms of connectivity and management. If you require advice to find the best space that suits your current needs, you can contact us.
In some other cases, the rent of temporary offices is handled , that is, while the emergency passes or the restoration to normality is concluded. This is common in urgent situations, such as natural disasters or direct threats to corporate security, but is being considered for some cases where reorganization may take longer than expected (9).
Some internal actions and contingent strategies that companies plan for this period, are focused on flexibility and the implementation of digital routes. Of those that stand out the most are (11):
- Flexibility at work (71%).
- Digitization of internal and external services (with clients) (58%).
- Diversification of suppliers (11%).
- Outsourcing of internal functions (4%).
También es importante tomar en cuenta la puesta en marcha de estrategias digitales no sólo para mantener la coordinación con tu equipo de trabajo, sino para seguir impulsando comercialmente a tu negocio, con herramientas como Google Ads o SEO.
This will be important to adapt the best dynamics that provide an optimal level of productivity, flexibility, digitization and transition to the new normal that your business, in order to have a safe space, needs.
If you want to know more about CDMX offices for rent (prices, classification), we invite you to consult: “Offices for rent in CDMX: areas and recommendations.”
Conclusions
Although the way of inhabiting the city and the physical spaces of the city arespecifically labor and commercial, has changed, its use is not expected to be 100% ruled out, as it depends on the turn of your business and the dynamics that you need to implement to, on the one hand, ensure the permanence of the company and its commercial development and, on the other, respect the sanitary indications for health care.
Somehow, the changes that come encourage new innovation practices at the organization level in companies , which will gradually occur in the return to the new normal.
For that it will be necessary that you evaluate what your business requires, in search of new adaptations that are safe and flexible, considering that it is a testing moment for the entire industry . At Vallejo Properties we accompany you in this process of change and adaptation. Contact us to create the best space for your business.
References
1. Andrés Hatum. The future of work: offices in danger. The Nation, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
2. Gebesa. 8 characteristics of a modern office. Gebesa, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
3. Blanca Juarez. Coworking is no longer emerging, now big companies are looking at it. The Economist, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
4. Liz Cervantes. This is what the offices will be like after the pandemic. The Ceo, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
5. Liz Cervantes. Office corridors lack mobility options for workers. The Ceo, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
6. JLL. COVID-19: Global Real Estate Implications. JLL Research and Strategy, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
7. Cise Business. Rent of virtual offices, the best option for the Labor Reform. Cise Business, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
8. Expansion. This is how work spaces will be transformed in the post-pandemic. Expansion, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
9. Chris Baraniuk. What are “secret offices” and how are they an alternative to teleworking in crisis such as the coronavirus. BBC, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
10. El Financiero. The office will never be the same after the pandemic. El Financiero, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
11. AMVO. Report 2.0 Covid-19 impact on online sale Mexico. Mexican Association of Online Sales (AMVO), April 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
