The future of work: enterprise social networks and coworking
Singapore
THE office as we know it is transforming. What is now a building or set of rooms used as a place of business will fundamentally be reconfigured, driven by a greater need for collaboration and business agility, The Business Times has learnt.
Two themes will prevail: One is the use of enterprise social networking, and the other, co-working.
Enterprise social networking, the workplace equivalent of Facebook, ramps up communication among employees of a company; they can chat, post updates, share live videos, arrange for meetings, and run polls.
Facebook on Monday officially launched one such platform called Workplace, aimed at helping organisations collaborate better and get more done. Already, more than 1,000 organisations globally are using the service, paying between US$1 and US$3 a month per active user. Workplace users use two apps, Workplace and Work Chat, the enterprise equivalents of Facebook and Messenger.
Ramesh Gopalkrishna, Facebook's Asia-Pacific head for Workplace, told BT: "Today's workplaces are complex. We've all been in situations where we're drowning in e-mail, can't find the teammates we need, and miss important updates. That's what Workplace solves."
In Singapore, Workplace users include new statutory board GovTech, the Singapore Economic Development Board, the National Library Board, Manulife Insurance and Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
GovTech chief Jacqueline Poh said: "Our mission is to work with public agencies to develop and deliver secure digital services to individuals and businesses. Workplace is helping us to break down walls as we focus on our mission as one team ... making it easier for everyone to ... collaborate." She added that through Workplace, she has been able to reach and engage her team better - down to the level of the individual.
Mr Gopalkrishna said the service is popular with chief executive officers (CEOs) who use the live video function to give their team regular updates, a practice that boosts employee engagement; the age where employees typically never get to engage the CEO in person may be passé.
He stressed that Facebook has no means of accessing data shared within firms' networks, which addresses a concern among businesses managing confidential information.
The trend towards co-working - having shared, flexible work spaces for mobile professionals - is another indicator that the nature of work has changed. Jori Messer, chief operating officer of The Working Capitol (TWC), told BT that work has morphed from being "task-oriented, assembly-line inspired measures of productivity" to "more collaborative, knowledge-based work that requires a depth of network and interaction".
TWC, a Singapore-based co-working operator, is in the business of providing dedicated spaces to its clients; these include conventional offices, meeting rooms, private phone booths and even beer gardens. "Hot desking" is also part of the picture in co-working, where multiple workers plug in at a single work station at different times of day. Co-working caters to various modes of working, be this collaboration, focus, mobility, relaxation and work-life balance.
Co-working is no longer the preserve of startups or small and medium-sized enterprises. Large companies have been wanting in, egged on by high office rents, long leases and the need to expand (or downsize) quickly. HSBC in Hong Kong, for example, has moved part of its team to co-working space WeWork.
"They see in co-working the ability to foster an innovative, collaborative culture, and to manage their real estate and operational costs more effectively," said Mr Messer.
He said co-working enables smaller firms to tap the services and networks of the other firms in the space; multinationals use co-working to keep their teams inspired and abreast of their industries, while responding to changing business needs.
Chua Meng Kiat, founder of web development agency Akimi Technologies, said: "TWC provides us a place to not only work, but look for business opportunities with other member companies. There is constant interaction among members, which encourages the flow of ideas and a positive work environment."
It is clear that demand for co-working is growing: TWC will soon launch new facilities in Singapore and the region. As with its first site in Keong Saik Road, its new sites will offer firms dedicated workspaces in addition to common areas where employees can work among themselves or interact with other firms.
