With the first anniversary of lockdown just around the corner, now is a moment of reflection for us all. A great deal has changed in the workplace over the last year for the positive as well as negative, and numerous challenges still lie ahead.

Finding office space to rent can be an exciting step to any business, both large or small. It can be a sign of growth or expansion, as maybe you have outgrown your current residence. What is important to take into consideration is that your office space is an extension of your brand.

The tide appears to be turning in terms of attitudes towards the office. Kevin Ellis, Senior Partner and Chairman of PwC, notes that after evidence of mixed sentiment last summer, the majority of CEOs are turning back to being pro-office, and David Solomon, Chief Executive of Goldman Sachs, goes as far as to say that working from home is ‘an aberration’ that requires ‘correcting’. While hybrid working is still the most likely scenario, leaders are getting serious about a return to the office this summer as vaccines continue to roll out and Government tempts commuters with the promise of flexible season rail tickets. There is, after all, no substitute for a stunning office building in a great location in terms of setting first impressions, welcoming customers, attracting talent and motivating employees.­

Working in London provides endless opportunities, both professionally and personally. It's the capital city where dreams can happen, no matter what industry you are in. Discover the top 8 benefits of being able to work in London, and what workplaces Argyll can provide your company.

Finding startup offices in London has become easier as the city facilitates the ever growing freelance economy. Discover the benefits of securing startup office space in London, and how Argyll can help you through this journey.

Flexible workspaces in London can help to ensure your team can collaborate together in an inspiring location. We have over 30 flexible workspaces in London that can give your corporate business the temporary room it needs to bring your team back together, safely. Finding a way to enable your teams to join together again, is critical as we move into this next chapter.

There has been a palpable change in the national mood since Boris Johnson’s announcement this week that we may return to restriction-free life from 21st June. While this positive burst of optimism is welcome, it conceals the longer-term unknown impact that the pandemic has had on our wellbeing.

It comes as little surprise that mental health problems have worsened across all age groups in the past year, and the third lockdown has been particularly harmful thus far due to struggles with job security, home schooling, caring responsibilities, bereavement and lockdown fatigue all being prolonged. 

There is a famous quote by American author William Gibson, who said, ‘the future is already here – it’s just not very evenly distributed’. Never has that statement seemed more true than over the past year. We’ve seen an acceleration in the adoption of technology as consumers and businesses struggle to come to terms with virtual living and working, an effort described in one report by KPMG and Harvey Nash as a ‘huge and unprecedented spike in technology spending’.

In the workplace the initial challenge we have had to solve is one of virtual-to-virtual (V2V) communication, so that we may work together seamlessly while dispersed across the country.

Upside Down Management, the business philosophy centred around a culture of trust and autonomy, already had an increasing number of companies taking inspiration from it before COVID. One of the benefits of lockdown has been the opportunity to hold a large-scale experiment in the power and potential of this philosophy.

The originator of this way of thinking, retailer Sir John Timpson, described Upside Down Management as everyone having ‘the authority to find the best ways to do their jobs’ and in the words of current CEO James Timpson on its impact for the COVID era, ‘what I hope is that all businesses will recognise that the kinder, the more diverse and the less hierarchical they are, the more relevant they will be – and the more likely to succeed’. As the post-COVID business world shifts to a more hybrid workplace, combining face-to-face and virtual working, this philosophy of cultivating trust and autonomy will be central to corporate success.

Generational differences are inevitable in the modern workplace. Currently we can see five different generations all collaborating together to reach the company's common goals. Discover our guide to the five generations, their differences and how Argyll can support you through this journey.