Flex office & its disadvantages : what you need to know before adopting it!

What if, tomorrow, you arrived at the office without knowing where you were going to sit?
No assigned place, no personal desk, just a space to choose each morning according to your needs & availability.

This is the principle behind the flex office : an organisational method that is winning over more and more companies in this age of hybrid working and the hunt for unused square metres.

On paper, the idea is attractive: more flexibility, lower costs, modernised workspaces. But in reality, the flex office shakes things up… and can sometimes disorganise more than it simplifies.

So before you take the plunge, it’s best to understand what this model entails, and above all to be aware of its potential drawbacks. In this article, we take a look at how the flex office works, and then explore the limits that should not be underestimated before adopting it. Focus!

How the flex office works and what it promises.

The flex office is based on a simple principle : there is no longer a desk allocated to each employee. Each day, you choose your place according to your needs, your team & the type of task to be accomplished.

To get organised, some companies are introducing online booking tools (such as Sharvy), personal lockers, and modular spaces to adapt to different uses.

This organisation promises a number of advantages:

• • Optimisation of space : no more empty offices when staff are teleworking or travelling. Premises are better utilised, which can reduce property costs.

• • Flexibility & agility : you’re free to move around as you need to, to work as part of a team or quietly, in specially adapted spaces.

• • Modernity : the flex office embodies a new, more dynamic and less rigid way of working, which is particularly appealing to the younger generation.

• • Stimulating collaboration : by regularly changing neighbourhoods, you increase the number of informal exchanges, encouraging creativity and cooperation.

So, while the flex office promises a more flexible & collaborative environment. But this freedom also comes with challenges that need to be anticipated to ensure that this promise does not turn into a source of frustration.

The disadvantages of the flex office : what to expect!

1. A loss of bearings and a feeling of isolation.

The move to a flex office is profoundly changing the habits of your employees. No longer having a dedicated office means they have to adapt to a changing environment on a daily basis.

This lack of a fixed place can sometimes lead to a feeling of losing one’s bearings, especially at the beginning. Your teams may feel a little unsettled, as they lose their usual anchor points, such as their personalised desk & their personal belongings within easy reach.

What’s more, in large companies, this constant mobility can lead to a slight feeling of isolation. Informal exchanges around the office, those little moments that strengthen social ties, can be reduced if the organisation is not designed to encourage them.

That said, this challenge is largely surmountable. The flex office, properly supported, also offers the opportunity to create new, more dynamic ways of collaborating and exchanging ideas.

✔️ Our tips for dealing with this problem.

To make it easier for your staff to adapt to the flex office, it’ s a good idea to organise the space by functional zone (booking zone), for example one zone dedicated to HR teams, another for sales, one for development, etc.

This allows everyone to return to a familiar environment and retain their bearings, while benefiting from the flexibility of the system.

In addition, providing personal lockers & secure storage areas allows your employees to keep a few important items, creating a reassuring anchor point despite the absence of a fixed office.

It’s also essential toregularly encourage bonding moments, such as team meetings, collaborative workshops & informal moments (coffee breaks, lunches), which strengthen links & stimulate collaboration.

To help with this transition, you can set up a system of referents ( «buddies») who support employees as they adapt, helping them to get to grips with the new way of working more quickly and with greater peace of mind.

2. Logistical and organisational problems.

One of the main challenges of the flex office arises when there is no system for reserving workstations. Without clear organisation, your employees risk having to look for a free desk every day, which inevitably leads to wasted time & sometimes tension.

The flex office ratio (i.e. the ratio between the number of workstations available and the number of employees) has a major impact on the extent of these difficulties.

• • When the flex office ratio is low (for example, 8 posts for every 10 employees), there are generally enough places thanks to everyone’s absences & teleworking. But even in this case, without reservation, peaks in attendance & unforeseen absences can create situations where several people find themselves competing for the same position.

• • When the flex office ratio is high (for example, 5 positions for every 10 employees), the pressure on available spaces is much greater. Your teams need to coordinate their attendance to avoid not finding an office. Without a clear reservation system, this quickly leads to frustration, disorganisation and a drop in productivity, as your employees waste time looking for a position instead of concentrating on their work.

In addition, there are often difficulties related to the size and insufficient number of lockers, which complicate the management of personal belongings, as well as the sometimes hidden costs associated with modular furniture and the digital tools needed to manage this organisation effectively.

✔️ Our tips for dealing with this problem.

To avoid these pitfalls, adopting a reservations management tool like Sharvy can make all the difference. Sharvy makes it easy to plan attendance and reserve workstations, giving your employees real-time visibility of available space.

• • In a context of low flex office rates, Sharvy simplifies desk booking & avoids duplication and misunderstandings, while offering appreciable flexibility.

• • In a high-rate environment, where space is limited, Sharvy is essential for organising the allocation of offices efficiently, limiting conflicts and optimising the use of space.

3. Unsuitable for certain profiles and professions.

The flex office isn’t necessarily for everyone, and that’s normal. Some people prefer a stable setting and a calm environment to be more effective on a daily basis. For these people, regular changes of office may require extra time to adjust.

Similarly, certain professions, such as HR and legal teams, work with sensitive information that requires a little more confidentiality. What’s more, they sometimes need specific equipment, which is less easy to share and move around. In these cases, the traditional flex office may be less practical.

✔️ Our tips for dealing with this problem.

To respond to these constraints, it is important tooffer spaces dedicated to these profiles and professions. You can, for example, provide fixed offices or reserved areas for teams requiring a quiet environment or enhanced confidentiality.

Finally, it’s essential tolisten to your employees to understand their expectations and adapt the flex office accordingly, without imposing a single model on everyone. A hybrid organisation, combining flex office and fixed workstations, guarantees a balance between agility and comfort, and maximises productivity while respecting individual needs.

So the flex office can work, but not without conditions.

The flex office offers many advantages, but it doesn’t just happen. For this way of working to be a success, you first need to support the change. This requires transparent communication to explain the objectives and benefits, training to help your teams master the new tools and organisational methods, and above all active listening to take account of their needs and adjust practices.

At the same time, don’t limit yourself to the «all-or-nothing» flex office. Think about hybrid formulas that may be better suited to your organisation: a half-flex system where certain days are fixed, «workstations that can be reserved as a priority» for certain profiles, and possibly areas dedicated to certain teams.

This flexibility means that the model can be adapted to the realities and preferences of each individual, while retaining the benefits of the flex office.

In conclusion

The flex office is not a miracle solution, but a lever to be used with care. Its success depends above all on your ability to adapt your workspace, tools and organisation to the specific needs of your team.

By keeping this pragmatic approach, you can transform your working environment into a more flexible, collaborative & efficient place to work.

But without this preparation, good intentions run the risk of coming up against the reality on the ground. So before you take the plunge, take the time to plan ahead. That’s the key to making the flex office a real asset for your company!

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