Choosing a workspace provider used to be a location-and-price decision. It’s not anymore. As hybrid work beds in and employee engagement remains stubbornly low (recent research puts engagement across Australia and New Zealand at around one in five workers, according to workplace solutions provider Christie Spaces) where and how your team works has become a genuine business decision – and EAs are increasingly the ones assessing the options.
Speaking to Executive PA, Dan Hastings, CEO at Christie Spaces, shares five things you need to know.
- Look past the fit-out
A polished space is easy to sell and quick to date. What matters more is whether the provider understands how your business works day to day – team structure, growth plans and client-facing needs, for example. And do they ask about that upfront, rather than pitching you a floor plan?
A provider worth choosing treats onboarding, IT and day-to-day support as part of the offer, not an afterthought once the lease is signed.
- Check it can flex with you, not just for you
The best providers let a business move between space types without starting again each time. Think: a virtual office to establish a presence, meeting rooms for client-facing moments, a private office as the team grows and project space for a short-term push.
If a provider only offers one model (all co-work, or all long-term tenancy) that’s a sign it won’t keep pace with a business that changes shape over 12 or 24 months.
- Treat technology as baseline, not bonus
Reliable wifi, working meeting room tech and IT that integrates with your existing systems should be assumed, not negotiated. If a provider can’t answer clearly on this, it’s worth asking why.
- Watch for the two ways this goes wrong
Businesses tend to get workspace flexibility wrong in one of two directions. Some cut office space too fast then don’t have room for collaboration, client meetings or growth. Others hold onto large, traditional offices that no longer match how the team works, and end up paying for space that sits empty. Both versions carry a cost that’s easy to underestimate – not just in rent, but in engagement, retention and how the business is experienced by clients and staff.
- Ask what ‘community’ means
Post-pandemic, plenty of providers use the word loosely. Ask what it looks like in practice (events, cross-business connections, shared facilities?) because for teams navigating hybrid work, that’s often what makes coming into the office worth it.
The bottom line: workspace flexibility isn’t really about square metres or desk numbers. It’s a strategic call about how your team collaborates, grows and shows up. And it’s worth treating it as one.
