Exploring the benefits of the hub and spoke office model
Insight
Exploring the benefits of the hub & spoke office model
Now that we are in year two of the great work from home experiment, we have a much clearer idea of the role the physical workplace will play post-pandemic.
Since remote working became the norm, employers have learnt that the traditional, fully office-based working model is not a pre-requisite for productivity.
Realising this, many are now faced with an exciting opportunity to transform their office from a space that employees are obliged to attend into an environment that they choose to come to in order to feel motivated and inspired.
Meanwhile, employees have been enjoying the various perks of remote working including flexibility, time and money saved on travel and a better work-life balance.
It is only natural that staff will be unwilling to give up these benefits in favour of a full return to the office. However, many will be hoping to pop in from time to time for some much-needed social interaction and the chance to collaborate with colleagues.
One way that employers can address both sets of needs is by adopting a hub and spoke office model.
What is the hub and spoke office model?
The hub and spoke model supports a highly flexible working culture that gives employees the freedom to choose where, when and how they wish to work.
It consists of a central HQ, usually located in a major city, and smaller, regional offices that are strategically located close to where employees live.
The idea is that employees will only be required to travel to the main hub for important meetings, events and training.
However, the rest of the time, they will be given the option to either work from home or from one of the more conveniently located “spoke” offices, where they can benefit from face-to-face time with colleagues.
Here’s why we think it’s worth considering.
Reduce your real estate costs
Adopting a diverse, hub and spoke model may mean that you end up with more city-based office space than you need.
If that’s the case, you could consider downsizing to a smaller, less pricey central hub. This is especially beneficial for businesses with HQs in London where the cost of commercial space is notoriously high. It may even be possible to expand your portfolio of locations while reducing your spending on real estate overall.
Expand your talent pool
Attracting and retaining top talent is one of the key ways businesses will be looking to ensure success in the post-pandemic economic climate.
So why limit yourself to just those who live within an easy commute of a major city centre?
Setting up spoke office locations that are further afield but still benefit from great local amenities and good transport connections could allow you to add talented new staff to your team that you may otherwise have never discovered.
Not to mention you would be helping to ignite local economies by creating new job opportunities in the process.
Resilience
A crucial business benefit of the hub and spoke office model is that it gives employers the ability to bring people back to the physical workplace without everyone being under one roof.
Diversifying your office locations will not only mean you can welcome all staff back while maintaining social distancing now, but it will also stand you in good stead for the future.
Having multiple safe office locations could mean you are less likely to have to revert back to an exclusively remote working model in the event of a future COVID outbreak.
Improve sustainability
Offering regional locations has two main benefits when it comes to improving sustainability.
The first is that by setting up shop closer to where employees live, you will be helping staff to cut down on carbon emissions by reducing their travel time to and from the office and giving them the opportunity to use green modes of transport such as walking or cycling.
What’s more, there are a growing number of newly developed commercial properties available outside of London that have been designed specifically with sustainability in mind. Choosing one of these locations could enable you to instantly reduce your carbon footprint thanks to their state-of-the-art, eco-friendly lighting, heating and ventilation systems.
Boost wellbeing
According to research conducted prior to the pandemic, UK commuters spend an average of 59 minutes per day travelling to and from the office. This may not seem like much, but it certainly adds up. In fact, it equates to almost 10 days of the year spent on a packed commuter train or stuck in traffic.
The findings from TUC’s study also showed that Londoners have the longest commutes. They spend an average of 1 hour 19 minutes commuting every day.
Anyone who’s ever made their way across London at rush hour will know what a stressful undertaking this can be.
It’s no wonder that workers everywhere rejoiced when they received the instruction to work from home and were suddenly gifted back the time (and money) they had previously spent on fighting their way to the office 1 .
Now workers can spend this time doing things that positively impact their wellbeing like exercising, preparing healthy food and spending time with family.
Naturally, this is one of the benefits of working from home that employees are reluctant to give up when they return to the workplace. Offering regional locations could be the perfect compromise.
With this option on the table, employees will be able to work from home some days and benefit from the connectivity and opportunities to collaborate that the physical workplace offers on others, without relinquishing their new-found, healthy work-life balance.
What to consider
We appreciate that the hub and spoke office model may not be for everyone.
Many companies would no doubt struggle to choose a location for a satellite office that would benefit all staff and does not put any at a disadvantage.
However, it can be a fantastic option for employers who recruit nationally and are looking to distribute their workforce while offering staff the many benefits of being able to work closer to home.
A key consideration for these businesses will be ensuring that there is no disparity between the quality of the different spaces they offer.
It’s important to remember that the purpose of a regional hub is not simply to give staff a desk as nowadays most independent, desk-based working can be carried out remotely.
For the model to be a success, businesses much ensure that these spaces are just as modern, well-designed and well-equipped to support collaboration, connectivity and creativity as their central hub. Why not get in touch with the TDA team to find out how or to discuss whether the hub and spoke model could be right for your business.
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