Taiwan
As 2022 has come to a close, one thing we’ve learned from this year is that the role of the workplace is continuing to evolve quicker than the years before. As many countries emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, companies are now encouraging more returns to the office, while others, on the other hand, have shifted to remote work. With businesses prioritising flexibility, empathy, and employees’ well-being, there is no doubt that the purpose of workspaces has changed.
With all that we’ve learned in 2022, it’s time to focus on the future ahead as we look at the top five workspace and business trends that we expect to see dominate the workplaces of Taiwan in 2023.
1. Hassle-free, Commute-worthy Coworking Spaces
For most, the office is no longer an obligation as employees can now choose how and where they prefer to work. As such, one of the most effective ways to get employees back into the office is to ensure that it’s in an easily accessible and commute-worthy location. Employees would be more likely to commute to the office through the attractive design of workspaces that burst with personality, culture, and premier amenities. This allows employers who’ve invested in their working environment to reap the benefits.
For example, as remote workers largely struggled with loneliness and a decline in mental health, companies are now moving to create a destination space to encourage community and culture. This is done through the implementation of inviting, relaxed, and supportive coworking space environments – a genuine alternative to working alone from home. For instance, JustCo’s coworking and shared office space in Hung Tai Financial Plaza, Taipei, shows the value of creating a sympathetic workspace with designs that put the community at its heart. The office is conveniently located within the premier area of Songshan district. It is also brightly lit with full-length windows that allow natural daylight in its communal spaces and lounge seating areas. Members can also take advantage of recreational amenities like the pantry or have a fun game of darts to unwind after a long day at work.
2. Flexible Hours and 4-day Work Week
Along with the daily commute, 2023 could also be the year we say goodbye to another long-standing convention – the dreaded five-day work week. Four-day work week trials have recently taken place in many countries like England, Belgium, Sweden, and Iceland.
Countries like the US, Australia, and Ireland participating in the 4-Day Week Global Trial have reaped positive results. For instance, not only did organisational performance, such as revenue, improve, but employees have also reported feeling lesser work stress, burnout, anxiety, and fatigue, along with fewer sleep issues.
Additionally, in 2023, we are also likely to see more companies adopting provisions for flexible working hours so that employees can better fit parenting responsibilities or educational opportunities around their jobs. All these will happen due to rethinking the conventional 5-day work week approach.
3. Addressing Talent Shortages and Widening Skills Gap
Hiring talents has been difficult in the market lately, especially with many organisations facing severe shortages in critical areas like tech. In a report released by the Manpower Group, Taiwan’s IT, manufacturing, and construction industries are having difficulty finding qualified applicants for certain positions.
The widening skill gaps within organisations further worsen this. As such, to address these shortages, savvy companies in Taiwan are not only looking to broaden and improve their upskilling/reskilling efforts, but they might also implement hybrid work models. This means that more businesses in Taiwan might forgo long-term leases and rent hot desks or shared offices in coworking spaces instead.
4. Workplace Surveillance
As workforces become more geographically distributed and companies shift to a hybrid work model, another challenge for businesses in 2023 will be developing processes for monitoring employee outputs and standards without infringement on privacy or personal freedom. Hence, 2023 may see more companies investing in an employee tracking software. Rather than simply ensuring workers are not slacking, this software should be used to ensure that they are following healthy practices such as taking breaks.
Flexible office providers like JustCo use door access control for increased security; however, businesses can also use this data to determine the rates of employees returning to the shared office space.
5. Renewed Focus on Sustainability
In recent years, more companies have begun citing sustainability as a critical focus for their businesses. While the specifics of how companies approach and prioritise environmental issues vary depending on their industry and company size, other factors, such as shareholder demand, also contribute to greener business practices.
For many businesses, embracing new sustainability efforts also requires investing in employee upskilling and choosing office spaces to help them on their sustainability journey. For instance, choosing a coworking space like JustCo not only helps to offset your carbon emissions, but they are also dedicated to creating the best workplace environment.
As the world of work continues to evolve in 2023, it’s difficult to accurately predict how the changing economic and business trends might impact workspace priorities. However, one thing that remains clear is: the pandemic, amongst other factors, has spurred workforce transformation at a rapid pace. Thus, employers need to keep up with employee upskilling. Learn more about the benefits of working with Justco Taiwan and how our virtual office and coworking spaces can help you keep up with the business trends of 2023.
