It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Russell Rigby, Managing Director of commercial property specialists Rigby & Co.
I predict 2022 will be the year when we will see rapid change and churn in the office market. Almost two years on from the start of the pandemic and after going through two national lockdowns and local and regional restrictions, companies and their employees have had time to test out the lessons they have learned and start putting new office accommodation strategies into practice.
Whilst working from home is definitely here to stay, it remains critical for many staff to maintain access to their physical workspaces in order to improve collaboration, productivity and foster a strong sense of company culture. With this in mind, the decisions over how ‘conventional’ office spaces function this year will be crucial.
In parallel, the serviced office and flexible workspace sector is booming and continuing to mature, and it is clear this is no longer the domain of start-ups and tech companies. Big businesses are now rethinking their property strategies to support flexibility and diversity to help retain and attract talent.
In Derby, new Grade A city centre accommodation is badly needed. The question is, which scheme will come forward first, and when, and who will deliver it?
Whilst I can’t answer that one yet, what is a given, is the fact that any scheme’s ECG credentials will become an increasingly important factor for office occupiers, particularly in the run up to 2023, when new Government regulations are introduced.
