Radious: The Future of Office Work 

What Does the “Future of Work” Mean? 

You may have heard the term “future of work” in the last couple of years, especially as the pandemic catapulted everyone into working from home. But what does it even mean? And how does it affect companies across the country?

Essentially, “the future of work” refers to an aspirational vision of not only how and where employees work, but also how companies can enable employees to do their best work while still living fulfilling lives. Thought leaders offer varying opinions on what exactly that looks like, but one thing is clear: the future of work is happening now. And what was considered the status quo before 2020 is being challenged across industries and professions. 

How to Navigate the “Future of Work” as a Technology Company 

The good news is, as part of a technology company, you’re already in the habit of being visionary and forward-thinking, qualities that are at the core of the “future of work.” Whether you hold an executive position in a tech company or not, most of the sub-topics within this concept are vital to both creating and simply being a part of a thriving company. 

Flexibility

One of those sub-topics that continues to come up in conversations about the “future of work” is flexibility. As difficult as the pandemic was, it showed workers how beneficial a flexible work life could be to their personal and professional lives. Caretakers could more easily manage children’s schedules, night owls could take advantage of their energy peaking at 11 pm, and folks who felt an energy slump in the afternoon could take an hour-long break to get away from their screens. 

And flexibility isn’t just a win for the employees. As a company, providing a flexible environment is advantageous because it expands your candidate pool. The previous lack of flexibility kept some folks out of the workforce, so by eliminating this barrier, you’ll be able to hire the best candidate out there, no matter their circumstances.

The pandemic ultimately showcased the fact that the one-size-fits-all of the traditional model wasn’t actually working for many companies out there. Now, we’re in a position to design the “future of work” to be more inclusive and accessible for all, and the key to that is flexibility. 

Autonomy 

Flexibility and autonomy go hand-in-hand. When people have a say in how and where they work, they feel empowered and have a sense of agency. As we see big corporations demand everyone back to the office, we also see them strip their workforce of their freedom. Studies show that a lack of autonomy can lead to lower productivity and overall motivation. That’s why maintaining autonomy for your employees is crucial to keep a productive, happy staff. 

Disagreements Between Employers and Employees 

You’ve most likely seen headlines about the dramatic push-pull between companies and employees: when a company calls people back to the office and the employees push back. However, what a lot of people don’t see is that employees and company leaders actually want the same thing: work/life separation. While both may want in-person togetherness, it’s how to go about getting it that they often disagree on. 

Companies often believe that the only way to get together again is in a traditional office space, but employees don’t want to go back to it due to long commutes, rigid schedules, or loss of freedom. However, most employees still do want to see their coworkers again, get out of their houses, and have spontaneous conversations with the people they work with. 

Finding a Balance with Radious

The problem is, both parties are thinking in binary terms. They think the current options are limited to working from home or working from a traditional office. But the fact is, there are many ways to get teams back together outside of the traditional office while staying primarily remote: businesses can meet at coffee shops, office spaces, or even parks! And that’s exactly why Radious was created – to bridge the gap between what company leaders want and what employees need. 

What is Radious? 

Radious is an online marketplace where you can book private meeting spaces or offices that are completely flexible. You can book a space for the day, week, month, or even year, with options that vary in size and amenities. If a small team needs a room to meet and collaborate with just a table and whiteboard, we have those. Or, if a medium-sized business wants to get their entire company together for a monthly offsite, we have spaces for those too. 

The best part is that Radious spaces are primarily residential homes, so they’re distributed all around, not just in the downtown area of a city. This ensures they’re all spaces employees actually want to go to.

Why Use Radious

The magic of Radious is that we enable companies to keep their teams remote while occasionally meeting in a “third place,” outside of the traditional office or home. We help company leaders keep costs low by saving on office real estate and employees keep the autonomy they desperately crave, all while getting together in person to foster connection, culture, and community.