The slow return to the studio has already begun for a handful of studios across London. And over the next few months, we will see that return pick up pace. However, are we simply returning to pre-pandemic working practices? How will the level of flexibility and life balance that employees experienced over the last year play into where people choose to work moving forward? How do we strike the right balance moving forward? 

After conversations with industry leaders and various studios, there seems such an array of different approaches to the above question. On the one hand, some studios are determined to return to the studio full time as soon as possible. On the other hand, some studios have given up their permanent workspaces and plan to utilise an entirely remote model moving forward. Though I’m sure both of these approaches will be appealing to some for their own personal reasons, it feels like those combining striking a balance of home and studio time will be most appealing to candidates moving forward. 

Almost everyone I speak with, client and candidate alike, are becoming fed up and a bit lonely working from home. Most people are eager for some level of regular human interaction. Many seek reassurance that company culture and junior team members’ development will become a priority for studios moving forward, as both these areas have taken a big hit over the last year.  

However, with many designers realising that a large portion of their work can be done remotely, they have taken the opportunity in the last 12 months to move away from London to take advantage of the additional space that offers. Many of the moves away from London will make a full five-day working week back in a London studio a painful slog, and given how the last 12 months has panned out, that does feel a little redundant at this point. 

The better suggestions I’ve heard from clients have been things such as

• working in the studio Tuesday to Thursday each week

• splitting the week by allowing 2-3 days in the studio and the other 2-3 days working from home

• mostly working from home but coming into the studio as and when project requirements dictate

• keeping the studio open during the week for whoever wishes to be there; giving your employees a place to work if they don’t have a suitable workspace at home, and providing a space for company culture to blossom again.

In all of these suggestions, there may also be a real benefit with IR35 when it comes to supervision for freelance roles - we’d be happy to explain and discuss this further!

The other question to consider is: “How will the decisions we make over flexible working affect the type of talent our studio will be able to attract moving forward?” It’s a topic that’s coming up more and more as the market does pick up; as jobs become more readily available again, how do we ensure we’re an attractive place to work? Like other work benefits, the importance placed on this topic is up there right next to salary, with many candidates suggesting that they may even accept a little less money for better work/life flexibility. 

This will be a key deciding factor in the months and years ahead on where people choose to spend their careers, and for studios to attract the best talent, it needs to be considered carefully. It goes against the grain of what many experienced earlier on in their design careers - many late nights spent in the studio had become the norm; that’s no longer what most people want. That’s not to say people won’t put their hearts and souls into their work and the occasional late-night here and there, but they do want to be trusted to deliver great design in a flexible environment.

I’d love to hear your take on this and discuss your plans around this for the months ahead - drop me a line to set up a chat!