Quality workplaces are a must: Looking to 2023

By Rachel Houghton, managing director of Business Moves Group

As the year comes to a close, it is important for us to look back on the work we have completed and what trends have made an impact in the world of work. Back in 2021, I wrote about my predictions for the workplace in 2022 and what I’d like to see happen in terms of progress. Now, one year on, it’s time to reflect on those ideas and put forward new predictions for 2023.

Quality workplaces

My first topic of exploration is the idea of quality as a core theme. My 2022 predictions included making where we work, wherever we choose for that to be, of the highest quality. Depending on the task at hand, there should a good workspace available for you to use as you need. Working arrangements will vary across different businesses, but quality should always be a constant.

Throughout 2022, this has definitely been prominent. There have been huge investments into the workplace through the year, not just in the corporate real estate space, but in all types of workplaces, such as the back offices in retail spaces.

Major brands are committing to improving the quality of their environments and their sustainability to attract new talent to their business and encourage people back to the office. The main motivation here is to create spaces that provide a quality environment to work in, or learn in. This doesn’t always mean having the latest furniture or technology but optimising your current resources to make them work better for your team.

The education sector has been a large player in this trend. At Business Moves Group, we have worked with various education facilities to make their spaces more efficient for the students in them, without increasing their carbon emissions in the process. The work we have done throughout the year has meant numerous schools across the UK have been granted new furniture that has been released from the corporate space. This has allowed these schools the opportunity to improve their space whilst supporting their ESG commitments, and minimising spend.

Workplace experience

The quality of the workplace experience has also been in the spotlight this year. In his recent talk at the Workplace Trends event, Paul Urmston said that the reality is people visit the office for an experience, as the pandemic taught us that we can work from home effectively and efficiently. The common theme has been that no matter what the industry/output is, the core goal is to create an environment that is agile and responsive to a team’s needs, but simultaneously creates belonging.

I think 2023 will bring greater developments here, along with better prioritisation of the people in the business. Having a great workspace has its benefits, but only if it is truly serving the needs of the people using it.