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 Sunny Landa, director at Landa Associates.
Why workers continue to resist call backs to the office…
There remains a real challenge for the office in a post pandemic world as traditional offices no longer offer worker-friendly environments that give workers the same comforts as their homes.
Workplace planning will be key in 2025 as changing workplace dynamics such as hybrid working, particularly amongst younger generations, become key drivers for companies seeking to attract and compete for talent.
Grade A offices should now offer collaborative spaces as well as work place food options and we will see AI begin to play a key role in making the office environment more friendly, such as facial recognition technology, and also play its part in collecting data for senior managers. Company bosses are being advised by workplace change
management specialists employees needs are paramount and we will also see early adopters of a 4-day workweek.
There will continue to be active demand for office space from tech and media businesses, insurance and financial services as well as professional businesses, but we will see a real decline from charities and associates, public service sectors, government, education and health sectors.
The ultimate driver for these active sectors will be competition for talented people and staff retention which in my view will force many tenants to drive for quality in their office environments.
Despite market uncertainty grade A office space will continue to be a coveted asset for more people wanting to return to the office. In the post pandemic world, the dominant choice for many tenants is to now have collaborative spaces in larger open plan offices. This working style lends itself well to hybrid working and hot desking which is very much the new norm.
Fit-out cost will remain a barrier for most occupiers but those willing to invest in their office space by making them the best in their class will undoubtedly win. 2024 has shown us that top tier Grade A offices continue to let and the polarisation between unrefurbished space becomes bigger with less take up in the secondary and tertiary sectors.