Co-working brand The Great Room has reported a "dramatic" increase in Hong Kong corporate enquiries as part of what the company believes to be an acceleration of the flexible work sector.

Established in 2016, the hospitality-inspired network has grown to incorporate seven locations across the Asia Pacific, welcoming workers from Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

According to the data from the company, there has been a surge in demand for Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) during the third wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, following a notable increase in enquiries from February to April 2020.

At a glance: 

• Hospitality-inspired co-working network, The Great Room, has reported a surge in demand for Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) during the third wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.
• Data from the company also revealed enquiries for Hot Desk plans increased 20 per cent year-on-year during the same period, and more than doubled in the following 3 months.
• Established in 2016, the hospitality-inspired network has grown to incorporate seven locations across the Asia Pacific, welcoming workers from Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Source: The Great Room

Similarly, enquiries for Hot Desk plans increased 20 per cent year-on-year during the same period, and more than doubled in the following 3 months.

CEO and co-founder Jaelle Ang said the trend showed that while companies discovered the upside of remote workforces, the workplace was still what enabled individuals to fully function together.

“Our business model reflecting the sharing economy and pricing agility is more relevant during uncertain times, be it due to the pandemic, geopolitical shifts and shorter business cycles," she said.

"Since June, two-thirds of our enquiries are from companies who have never used flexible office spaces before, such as professional services firms and finance industries."

The Great Room CEO and co-founder Jaelle Ang. Source: The Great Room

A recent Asia Pacific study by JLL found 61 per cent of employees working from home miss going to the office.

The study also highlighted that good office spaces deliver productivity and staff happiness, that cannot be replicated in home settings.

Source: The Great Room

Ms Ang said rather than signal the end of offices, the pandemic had shown the need for "an evolution".

"Conversation is shifting from a finance and commercial real estate standpoint to a HR and people experience lens," she said.

"Corporates are cautious and the return-to-office requires more decision pillars for each phase.

"They are looking for flexibility but also possibly downsizing due to A/B shift work, as they expect staff to work from home for 20 - 50% of the time for another few months and hence reduce their footprint.

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