Gabriela Drăghia, Pluria Co-Founder: Trends Redefining the New Remote Work Reality and the Transition Towards a More Flexible Work Environment

Pluria’s Co-Founder Gabriela Drăghia has been recently invited to Conectat la România, a TV show highlighting the latest trending topics in Romania, today. During the interview she shared some of the opportunities which can arise in a flexible work environment. 

Nowadays one can work not only from home or at the office, but literally from anywhere. Two years ago, the idea of working from anywhere looked a lot more complicated for both the companies and the employees. But the new reality has proven that processes can be adjusted and be more flexible and that day-to-day operations can be adapted in order to make this process work.  Working remotely from anywhere in the world does function but only if it’s based on a flexible mindset that can optimize these processes.

Our article today sums up the main ideas and pieces of information which Gabriela shared in her interview at PRO TV and we invite you to discover them in the following paragraphs.

What Does It Mean to Work Remotely From a Flexible Space?

In the new reality that we have come to accept in the last two years, the concept of remote work has taken a new shape in the minds of both employers and employees. Now, they all believe that remote work is a combination between working from the office and working from home.

But the truth is that nowadays, we have the possibility and the resources to work from anywhere. We can work from a coffee shop  close to our home, from a coworking space in a city where we came to spend our vacation or even from a dedicated space in the hotel where we are checked-in.

“The future is about flexibility”

There is probably a fear out there about losing control – if I can’t actually see the employees I’m managing I might lose control over them – , but for companies this is a turning point because, those companies that stay completely inflexible and that want to bring the employees back to the offices at all costs will probably lose talent and resources” – says Gabriela Drăghia, Pluria Co-Founder  

Work in a flexible environment is now backed up by a new bigger concept which means one can work not only from home or the office, when one needs to focus.  when one needs to concentrate.  

The Global Expansion of the Coworking Spaces 

The concept of coworking space is quite new in Romania, but in the last years it has shown solid growth thanks to the increasing number of coworking spaces and the efforts they invested in educating the public. 

A work space in a coworking space is a very friendly version of an office space, one that is adapted for the corporate work environment as well as for the independent professional. In these spaces, people can find private offices, areas  where they can have their meetings uninterrupted, good internet connection, coffee and any other resource they need in order to be productive at what they do.

„Innovative companies decide to take their team on a trip for two weeks to an exotic location, work from there from a co-working place and at the same time have fun at night or during the weekend. It’s a win-win situation because you ensure the business continuity and at the same time, you develop the team spirit” – adds Gabriela Drăghia, Pluria co-founder

Companies Are Still Unsure About the Flexible Work Environments 

 “There is this fear that if I can’t see the employees there’s a big chance they will stop working and that the company will lose control over them” – mentions Gabriela Drăghia, Pluria co-founder

But after two years of work-from-home regime, companies are trying to define their work style for the coming years. Those who will be completely inflexible and will force employees to come back to work from the office, those who will ignore their employees’ needs can end up losing talent and resources to companies who choose adding flex work to their benefits basket.

In opposition, those companies which are open towards flexibility will gain more, especially in terms of productivity.  Employees will find their own place to focus and companies will have a lot more to win in employee retention rates because in the end, people will stay happy and connected to their work, which is exactly what companies desire.

“Companies from the IT sector and from the creative industries are the ones who best understand the need for the flexible work environment, they are the ones offering their employees a huge amount of trust and you can see this on the market” – mentions Gabriela Drăghia, Pluria co-founder

More Flexibility Brings a Positive Impact on the Environment

Commuting can be replaced with a walk to a flexible workspace close to your home or with a bike ride  to the nearest coffee shop. These types of actions have an impact not only on the environment where we operate but also on the people’s overall health.

“We are all different in the way we live or the way we organize our lives, therefore, the companies that are now forcing employees to go back into a rigid work environment – represents something very unnatural.” – adds Gabriela Drăghia, Pluria co-founder

Companies can opt for adopting a flexible work environment by implementing a pilot program where they can test several location options and see whether this model is a fit for them. At the same time, pilot programs allow companies to find out if the employees who directly benefit from the program are happier and if their productivity increases in time.