COVIVIO THE SHARING ECONOMY AND WORKING SPACE
From the viewpoint of European employees
PRESS RELEASE
NOVEMBER 2015
The sharing economy, boosted by digital technology, is a hot topic that is changing consumer habits, and the way we travel and learn, etc. But how does it affect working space?
As a leading company in the European commercial property sector, Foncière des Régions has looked into the topic by conducting a study entitled « The sharing economy and working space, from the viewpoint of European employees (Économie de partage et espace de travail, le regard des salariés européens) ». The research aims to assess how the sharing economy is being used and to investigate how likely respondents are to use the sharing economy in their workspaces. The study was conducted in five European countries: France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The sharing economy is becoming increasingly widespread all over the world. These new consumer trends affect all generations and impact all sectors, including in the office real estate market, where connectivity and open-plan design are increasingly prevalent.
How can the current use of the shared economy be summarised? How able are European employees to change their working habits? Are they willing to share everything in their workplace, or is the office a sacred space? Is France an innovator when it comes to the sharing mindset, or does it need to learn from its European neighbours, particularly as far as the office real estate market is concerned?
These questions guided the thought process of Foncière des Régions, which has a crucial need to understand and foresee major office real estate market trends. Recognised as a pioneer and visionary in its different business sectors, Foncière des Régions has proven itself able to anticipate major trends and incorporate them as a key part of its strategy.
« Real estate is a long-term industry which must meet user expectations, while constantly adapting to new trends. But innovation is not only about technical progress and technology. It is an attitude, a way of implementing a project or a way of thinking about key issues in our industry, such as the sharing economy.
For Foncière des Régions, these new trends must be at the heart of the real estate solutions we offer to our partners. »
Christophe Kullmann Foncière des Régions Chief Executive Officer
About the study
'The sharing economy and working space, from the viewpoint of European employees' study was conducted on behalf of Foncière des Régions by Opinionway on samples of office staff in companies with over 250 employees in each of the following countries:
France1 022 employees
Germany538 employees
Italy503 employees
Netherlands499 employees
United Kingdom500 employees
The samples were formed using the quota method, using criteria such as gender, age, socio-professional category and business sector. Interviews took place via a self-administered, online questionnaire using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interview) system, from 10 to 29 September 2015.
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Key points
The habits of European employees show that the sharing economy is well-established in their daily lives. They are very well-informed about the existence of these solutions, and on the whole have had positive experiences when trying them out for the first time. Although the concept of sharing is widespread when exchanging goods or services between individuals, it is also prevalent in the business world, particularly as regards the organisation of working spaces. European staff are also inclined to try out or agree to adapted working spaces, but not on any terms.
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Sharing of working space is now the norm for employees; in most cases, this comes in the form of open-space offices, with less than a quarter of employees having an individual office. However, European employees do not always like open-space offices despite them being favoured by companies: they generate the least satisfaction, while individual closed offices are more popular. However, this does not mean that there is opposition to shared working space within companies. A closed office with less than five people, and coworking within the companies are viewed favourably and generate a high level of satisfaction.
The positive effects of working in a shared space are clearly identified by employees, for example, circulating information, generating a feeling of belonging and fostering collaboration among teams. At the same time, there is still a strong inclination towards individual closed offices, mainly due to the calm they offer. However, a significant proportion of European employees say they would be willing to move from an individual space to a shared space, although attitudes vary greatly from one country to another.
Despite this resistance, European employees have already accepted the certainty that, in the future, sharing will play an increasingly large role in companies. That is why they are relatively open to changes in their working space. There is real potential in de- veloping shared working spaces within companies. Most employees accept the idea of working flexibly in different locations or configurations depending on requirements and circumstances. Desksharing, which raises the sensitive issue of maintaining privacy and confidentiality, still appeals to between a third and over half of employees depending on the country.
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WIDESPREAD APPLICATION OF THE SHARING ECONOMY, WHICH BRINGS GREAT SATISFACTION
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