Corporate Flex Solution is Common Ground’s most flexible solution yet giving Malaysian businesses the ability to work near home, be more productive and save office costs.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 6 April 2021 – Common Ground, Malaysia’s largest leading coworking space, has launched an on-demand, pay-as-you-go service called the Corporate Flex Solution that allows users to drop in to use their award-winning spaces and fully-equipped facilities for as low as RM2.50 per half-hourly blocks.

The service piloted in February and gives users access to Common Ground’s fully-equipped workspaces, meeting rooms, and also photocopying, printing and courier services across all its retail outlets.

“As companies have started reopening up their businesses, we see a growing demand for a ‘third place’ to work,” says Yvonne Lee, Country Head of Malaysia for Common Ground. “Most people are familiar with the hybrid of working from home or working from the office but now, we’re introducing a new flexible space option for corporates and its employees that is neither home nor office. It’s the added option of working near home.”

How does Corporate Flex Solution work

“If you already have some commitments or a HQ, Corporate Flex gives your teams a ‘third workspace’ in addition to working from home,” Yvonne explains. “This workspace is available to them how, when and where they need it. They can access any of Common Ground’s locations that are nearest to them and in micro blocks of 30 minutes.”

As an employer, you’ll book a Corporate Flex Solution membership package for your staff, paying a base membership rate per staff. They’ll then have access to all Common Ground locations in Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines, and can use the Common Ground app to find the location closest to them. They’ll be able to check in to whichever outlet they choose, using the facilities as and when they need to. You’ll pay only for the time and facilities that your team members use, whether they need to book a meeting room, host a series of calls or just pop in to use the printer. You can even put a cap on how much credit can be utilised per staff member per month.

“The aim of Corporate Flex is to give great companies the best of in-person and remote work so that their people can enjoy their work, collaborate with their colleagues, and continue to perform at their peak,” Lee says.

Working from home is good but working near home is better

The events of 2020 have shown the world that flexible or remote working is not only possible but can be productive. However, as we head into our second year of the pandemic, it’s clear that improvements can be made. According to a recent survey*, two out of three Malaysians struggle with working from home with 62% of them citing inadequate home office setup or equipment as the reason.

Lee further elaborates: “As a boss, you may be fielding complaints from your team about poor WiFi connections, or a lack of privacy from which to conduct client calls. Maybe they just really want to be able to use the office printer again. How do you balance the safety of your team members against their productivity? And if you’re not prepared to fully reopen your office space, what can you do to provide the resources and space they need?”

“Corporate Flex Solution is therefore perfect also for companies that are currently in limbo as they reflect on their office leasing strategy and how best to keep productivity up while saving costs and keeping employees safe.”

Who is Corporate Flex for

“If you’re trying to balance your people strategy with your office strategy, here’s where Corporate Flex bridges that,” Yvonne says. “Working from home may have worked for some people but learning from the majority of our current members, it is still not the ideal set-up.”

Corporate Flex will work for your company if your staff predominantly work from home, but still need a conducive and productive workspace to collaborate. Maybe you’re looking to downsize on your permanent office space to save on fixed costs during these uncertain times; maybe you’re keen to introduce more flexibility to keep your staff engaged and motivated. Corporate Flex gives you the bandwidth to allow your staff that flexibility, while also providing a structured and conducive workspace for them to use and when they need it.

Why it works so well

It’s the flexibility that’s so great. In Malaysia, there are 12 locations around the Klang Valley and Penang, and soon Johor, so that no matter where they are, users will have a great base to work from. With pricing as low as RM2.50 per 30-minute block and the ability to add or reduce staff memberships as the business needs, employers only pay for exactly what is used, without the traditional fixed overheads of a full-time office. Also, with no deposits, no long-term commitment and the ability to terminate anytime with credits fully refundable, companies can sign-up and plan accordingly with the demands of their own business.

Then there are the benefits Common Ground is famed for: the inspiring interior design and friendly customer service. You can make use of Common Ground’s great event spaces, cafes, membership benefits and private offices. And of course, the vibrant community of like-minded companies and collaborative opportunities.

“At Common Ground, we’ve always been champions of modern, flexible working solutions to suit your working style, and our newest offering has been designed with current events in mind. Corporate Flex is a flexible workspace solution that allows you to make the most of our award-winning spaces and amenities.”

For more information on Corporate Flex Solution, visit bit.ly/CGFlexInfo or email info@commonground.work

Corporate Flex Solution locations in Malaysia

In Malaysia, Corporate Flex Solution is made available at the following Common Ground locations:

*Source: As published by Ipsos Malaysia in January 2021 from a study conducted among 12,823 employed online adults aged 16-72 across 28 countries.

About Common Ground Malaysia

Co-founded by Erman Akinci and Juhn Teo, Common Ground is Malaysia’s largest leading coworking space that prides itself on not just being a premium workspace, but also a synergistic coworking community that cultivates a vibrant ecosystem of diverse and driven minds across various industries. The coworking space curates a multitude of weekly events across business, technology, and lifestyle spheres to continuously integrate and elevate its members, along with securing hundreds of lifestyle and professional partners to garner the best benefits for its community. Additionally, the coworking space connects its ever-growing community through its proprietary app, which serves as a social platform and business network for members to connect, irrespective of the venue they choose to work from. Aside from keeping its community updated on weekly events and partnership benefits, the app’s social newsfeed and business opportunities forum, among other features, collectively embody Common Ground’s belief in nurturing and championing a synergistic business ecosystem.

Since its launch in March 2017, the game-changing business has since acquired over 5,000 members across 13 venues in Malaysia, four venues in the Philippines, and two venues in Thailand. Each Common Ground venue houses their signature components – a café, event space, board rooms, meeting rooms, lounges, call booths, and three formats of standard workspace — hot desks, fixed desks, and private offices. In addition to standard memberships, Common Ground also offers Enterprise Solutions. Designed to power large teams of 50 or more, these tailored solutions give corporations a dedicated and custom-built space to call their own. Helping them save on real estate and operational costs, companies can benefit from modern and fully-serviced satellite offices, swing spaces, or even main HQ’s, without the worry of long-term contracts or upfront costs impacting their cash flow.

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KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 6 April 2021 – Professional recruitment services firm Michael Page Malaysia launched the Talent Trends 2021 Report, with a keen eye on Hong Kong’s job market. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn has had a significant impact across the Asia Pacific, and Malaysia was not spared. With that said, optimism is already starting to show, with about 33% of companies in Malaysia looking to increase their headcount and 40% maintaining status quo in 2021.

Paul Cooper, Managing Director of Michael Page Malaysia, Thailand & Vietnam

Paul Cooper, Managing Director of Michael Page Malaysia, Thailand & Vietnam, says, “From July 2020 onwards, various sectors in Malaysia began to experience steady recovery. For example, the technology sector remained buoyant throughout 2020, with businesses placing emphasis on business intelligence, data analytics, as well as software development.”

In view of the economic demands, the sectors earmarked for highest hiring activity are technology & fintech, global business services/shared service centers, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare & life sciences as well as engineering & manufacturing.

According to the report, digital transformation continues to have major implications in the Hong Kong market. The appetite for tech functions across all industries is high, especially in the commerce and financial services sectors.

In addition to Malaysia’s anticipated employment activity, Paul Cooper sees more opportunities for professionals, “Demand for talent within the semiconductors and consumer electronics also sustained the engineering and manufacturing sectors in Malaysia. As a major producer of medical devices, Malaysia’s healthcare sector also experienced a significant increase in demand for talent from the manufacturing and supply chain perspectives, specifically those with a strong digital focus around invoicing, tracking and processing.”

According to the report, 66% of employed professionals anticipate looking for new opportunities in 2021 while 31% of respondents say they do extensive research before applying for a job. This suggests increased employment activity in Malaysia within a candidate pool who are becoming increasingly empowered with a wealth of information.

Paul Cooper advises, “Business leaders are encouraged to remain agile and adapt work practices and strategies to reflect a new working environment. Communication and trust will be key in a remote working world as will the ability to keep an eye on what will no doubt be a rapidly evolving future.”