IWG is the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace, with 3,500 locations operating under brands including Regus, Spaces and HQ across 120 countries. Its network is unrivaled in its reach, which extends beyond central business districts to suburban and rural areas, where employees have an unparalleled choice of locations in the heart of their local communities.

IWG works with companies of all kinds and sizes – from major global corporations (it counts 83% of the Fortune 500 among its customers) to small-scale startups. Customers have access to its global network, with coworking desks, meeting rooms or private offices that can be booked by the hour, day or longer term. 

Everything is on the IWG app; customers can book the workspace they need with a couple of quick taps, or request IT support, meeting room refreshments, or anything else to help them run their business effectively or simply have a productive day at work. 

What are the benefits that employers have gained from hybrid working? It’s clear that hybrid work – which empowers employees to split their time between home, a local flexible workspace and a company’s headquarters – is here to stay. And that’s for many good reasons. 

First of all, hybrid working leads to significant cost savings. Research by Global Workplace Analytics indicates that this could be by as much as $11,000 per year per employee. This is largely because the hybrid model means that not all employees are expected in the office every day, enabling businesses to downsize their real estate footprints and save on costs associated with running an office. Bottom lines are boosted, and profits reinvested in company growth and development. 

Flexible workspaces also give businesses the ability to scale up or down quickly, in line with current needs. This can be a particular advantage for startups, who can keep operational costs low while they focus on expanding their businesses. Space can easily be added for the occasional freelancer or consultant helping on specific projects. As they grow and take on new hires, they can gradually scale up the space they need.

Another clear benefit for employers centers around attracting and retaining talent. Against the backdrop of the Great Resignation – an ongoing trend which has seen record numbers of people quitting their jobs – it’s clear that employees have new expectations when it comes to work. In a new study by IWG, 88% of office workers cited hybrid working as a leading benefit they’d expect when looking for a new job, while 50% said they would immediately rule out jobs that didn’t offer this flexibility. Businesses that embrace hybrid will be able to attract and retain talent in a challenging market, while reaping the benefits of a happier and more productive workforce. 

Employees who no longer commute five days a week gain a better work-life balance, with more time to spend with family and friends and doing what they love, while also saving on the financial (and environmental) cost of the daily commute. 

How are companies in the Seattle and Bellevue area embracing the hybrid work model, and how is this impacting demand for flexible workspace? Before the pandemic, it was only forward-thinking, innovative companies who were giving their employees the chance to work in a hybrid environment. But the events of the last few years have given even greater prominence to the advantages of this flexible way of working – from cost savings for businesses and the better work-life balance for employees, to the positive environmental impact of the end of the daily commute. Hybrid is now the new reality for businesses across the world.

In Seattle and Bellevue, IWG has a network of 17 locations to meet surging demand for flexible workspace, and it’s planning to grow this even more over the coming months. Spaces 2 and U offers an impressive work spot in Seattle’s central business district, with unobstructed views of Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains, as well as the buzzing city below. Across Lake Washington, Regus Bellevue Technology Center sits between the expanding areas of Bellevue and Redmond, home to a vibrant community of young professionals and families, offering a high-quality workspace close to restaurants, coffee shops and parks.

How do employees benefit from having a work location? Working from home isn’t always practical, whether it’s not having enough space, patchy Wi-Fi or getting interrupted by family members. Having a flexible workspace down the road gives people a professional, high-quality space to work from, without the need to travel into an office. This means employees still benefit from the better work-life balance that working close to home affords, while ensuring they have access to a safe and secure network as well as the opportunity to network and collaborate with others.

Do you have networking events at your locations? Is it easy to network with others? Humans are social creatures, and it remains incredibly important to bring people together in a hybrid world – whether that’s through the occasional trip to the company office for team bonding, or networking with like-minded individuals at a local flexible workspace. Each center team organizes various networking events across the year to bring customers together and encourage a strong sense of community. 

Do you offer private offices within IWG locations? IWG offers private offices that can be customized for every hybrid work need – from single spaces to offices for smaller teams, all the way up to national headquarters. Businesses can simply select a fully furnished office that’s ready to move into, or work with the IWG team to design their own space, with a bespoke layout, furniture and accessories, complemented by the brand logo and colors. These spaces can then be easily scaled up or down, according to the needs of the business. 

Can you give us an example of the timeline for employers to set up a functioning office space for 10, 25 and 50 employees? It takes just 24 hours from the point a contract is signed to move into a private office space within one of our locations. The same goes for coworking membership. 

Discover how IWG can support you or your business with a bespoke hybrid workspace strategy at iwgplc.com.