Maria Fuster
27 January 2025
The Evolution of the Workplace
What role does the office play in today's working environments? Maria explains how you can be remote-first and still have an office culture.
I think it's fair to say that we've seen the evolution of the workplace unfold in a big way during the COVID-19 pandemic and the years that have followed. When we look back over the last 100 or so years, the role of the office remained largely unchanged. A reliable, unquestioned societal norm for '9 to 5ers' far and wide. Five days a week, we did our daily commute, we worked visibly, we had our hour's lunch break, we mingled with our colleagues (more than we did with our friends and families), had the classic 'water-cooler moments', and met face to face to discuss any issues, brainstorm ideas, problem solve and come up with solutions. And for some of us, we dragged ourselves in, even when sick, preferring to be sent home than be absent. It all sounds very old school now, but the shift from this to where we are now is less than five years old–it's crazy!
The situation we all faced in 2020, although traumatic and scary, pretty much single-handedly drove the changes that we've seen and are still navigating today in the workplace. Having only joined The Adaptavist Group in February 2022, I don't know life at TAG before COVID-19, but from what I do know, we were already ahead of the curve, and the office wasn't a mandatory ask for employees, but it was still the norm. With offices in London, Leamington Spa, Norwich, Madrid, Seville, Tartu, Kuala Lumpur, Montreal, and Springfield when I joined—it's fair to say I inherited a pretty lively portfolio. At that point in time, the world was just starting to open up again, so it's been an interesting ride to figure out, 'What now?'
Over the course of our two-year hiatus from normality, while we tackled the spreading virus, people got pretty comfortable with their home set-ups. The benefit of the hours not spent commuting, the money not spent on travelling to city centres, not buying lunch every day, the flexibility to juggle family life and be there for meal times, engagements, and pursuing hobbies was felt by all and created a shift that has changed things forever. However, as with all things, the benefits are not equal for all. As much as we can look at it as businesses having finally seen the light, with a proven track record that the office isn't essential to keep things running—and indeed thriving, there is a flip side to the situation.
For some, full-time remote work could lead to a very dark place. For some, remote work could be isolating; it's a very different situation for those working from a home office with a view than for someone in a shared property, working, living, eating, and sleeping in the same room. The parents with toddlers at home, the trainee who feels shy to keep messaging and asking questions, the person who's just moved to a new city and doesn't really know anyone outside of their colleagues, the workaholic who doesn't know when to switch off, and the person who lives alone that can end up going days without seeing another human in person or leaving the house—these are all situations where the wonder of working remotely may not seem so beneficial.
All this extracurricular stuff is what makes a company stand out from the rest as a place where people want to work.
Maria Fuster
Workplace Operations Lead
Today, the role of the workplace is far more complex and nuanced than it ever has been. The office has many hats to wear and will be used differently by different people. Add to this the complexity of a global company like TAG, where we also need to consider the cultural norms of each office location, and you have a very hard nut to crack. It takes trial and error to get it right. The workplace must facilitate effective communication and problem solving, creativity, team collaboration, and be inspiring! It needs to be a social space where people can hang out, vent, blow off steam, and foster relationships, which in turn feeds back into the communication and problem-solving that's needed to do the job. And if we can add a sprinkle of learning, then we may have the secret recipe for success. Learning through workshops, learning about the industries we work in, what we're doing within our teams, about each other, our cultures, customs, heritage, and history. All this extracurricular stuff is what makes a company stand out from the rest as a place where people want to work.
In cities like London and Toronto, real estate prices are no joke. I see it as a true privilege to work somewhere that is willing to provide workspaces in these prime locations and not introduce mandates to attend. This truly is hybrid working and flexibility. At TAG, a downsize in both of these locations has actually seen a rise in office use when compared with our initial larger post-pandemic offices, proving that the right location, size, look, and feel make a difference. And bigger isn't always better. Tools like Officely, where we can collect valuable data, allow us to continue to assess what we need and adapt to ensure we have the right solutions in the right places.
TAG makes a huge investment in our workplaces, and although hybrid in nature, we have grown from a team of one (me) and nine physical locations to double the number of offices and a team of five. In an increasingly digital world, we cannot ignore the fact that staff engagement, company culture, learning opportunities, and DEI initiatives need to reach beyond the physical into the remote world, so hybrid businesses need to go beyond the office to engage with employees; therefore the workplace today should be viewed as a valuable tool, rather than a traditional necessity. A place to meet, collaborate, upskill, resolve problems, promote and market the company, attract and retain staff, and build brand identity.
I'm extremely proud of our offices and all the work my amazing team put in. Effort goes in every day to make our workplaces fun and engaging with socials, and events hosted by not just ourselves but our clients, partners, and charitable organisations. In London, we've used our 'auditorium' area to host presentations for our partners, poetry nights to explore Black History Month, and charitable crafty events as part of our CSR programme. In our Toronto office, we've gone as far as to create a dedicated event space as our community hub, hosting everything from art exhibitions to poker nights. But while we honour the physical, we always try to make these efforts translate into the virtual world: we have weekly remote yoga classes, a remote book club, and our latest endeavour, TAG Talks, where we bring a host of different speakers to share wisdom and learnings with us on a variety of different subjects. This is how you foster great company culture in a truly hybrid community like ours.
I can safely say a workplace role at The Adaptavist Group is one that I doubt I'll experience anywhere else. Together with my team, we're actively working to create a workplace culture that draws people in and makes coming to the office a comfortable and positive experience for regulars and occasional visitors alike. We want our spaces to feel like home and to help one and all do the best and be the best.
So, readers, if you've got this far, thank you for taking the time. As an office user, ask yourself: Am I bringing my whole self to work? What can I contribute, share, suggest, or change that would help foster the kind of office culture that I want to see? What can I bring to the table? What can I add to the mix?
A workplace is so much more when we all get involved and contribute. At The Adaptavist Group, we have open lines of communication, and everyone has the opportunity to come forward with ideas for ways we can use our locations and ways we can go beyond that to engage with the remote world. As an Adaptavist, you have the right to be involved (or not) in any way you like. So bring some of what makes you who you are to work. Chances are it will enhance the experience of everyone around you, and if you can't do that where you currently work—maybe you need to take a closer look at vacancies with us!