“The ability to not spend an hour of your day, or more, on the road commuting, lets you be much more effective and productive.”
CAROLE NEAL / DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, AQUENT
Do Americans want to return to the workplace? For employees of Aquent, the question has already been answered with the company's recent announcement to let leases expire on their North American offices.
While the news may come as a surprise to some American workers, Aquent's Director of Marketing, Carole Neal, sees it as a win-win. “When the pandemic first hit, we quickly sent our employees home and realized that we were still able to work together very effectively.” She says that staff members working in the Los Angeles area, known for its terrible rush hour traffic, found they were able to have a more flexible lifestyle as a result of shifting operations to an all-remote workforce. “I love the opportunity to be able to ‘commute' to my dining room table and get to work right away.”
As a workforce solutions company, Aquent has also found that they are no longer limited to geography when it comes to finding the best talent. Erin Bloom, Aquent's Head of Community and Culture, said, “Now I can connect with anyone, anywhere. It's exciting to think about new ways of work.”
While the company will not be renewing most leases, they do plan on keeping roughly ten percent of their offices for large meetings, special projects, and certain clients. Erin Bloom said the money saved from leasing office space will be used for staff development and health benefits.
This article originally appeared on KABC-TV Los Angeles, CA.
