Retaining top talent is crucial for Belgian companies – now, they’re responding to employees’ demand with exceptional flexible working policies

The IWG Global Workspace Survey revealed that in Belgium, 78% of people think flexible working is the new normal, with just over half (53%) of companies having flexible working policies.

William Willems, IWG Country Manager for Belgium, says: “We are seeing more and more people employed on a contractual basis across projects. Working from home isn’t always an option - so people come to us.”

Although Belgian companies may be slower to embrace flexible working, the demand is certainly there from employees. As IWG discovered, when faced with two similar job offers, 98% of professionals in Belgium say they would turn down the job without a flexible working option.

Fortunately, businesses are responding, with 72% of companies in Belgium now using flexible working to retain top talent (the global average is 77%). Replacing staff when they leave is expensive (in the UK, this can equate to six to nine months that person’s salary) so using flexible working to increase job satisfaction is proving to be smart in the long-run.

Willems says: “If you provide the right benefits to people then the right talent will come to you. Sometimes flexible working options are more attractive than salary levels. Also, if you offer your employees the option of working close to home, you will bring back some people to the job market, such as those with children to look after.”

IWG was born in Belgium in 1989, at a time when coworking was unheard of. Since then, Willems says: “the company has been growing consistently but has really sped up in the last three years.”

There are now 35 IWG workspaces in Belgium from Regus and Spaces, and five under construction. Members club No 18 will be opening in the next few months in Ghent. By the end of the year, there will be 40 flexspace locations.

“We aim to grow to 150 locations in Belgium over the next five to six years,” says Willems. “Regus growth plans are regional, but the Spaces brand is becoming more important in city centres and business parks. Our customers are mostly in the service industry: in Belgium, we have Facebook and Salesforce using us but also location-independent architects, lawyers, and startups.”

What does flexible working mean to Willems?

“I use flexible space every day. I live outside of Brussels so it is an absolute nightmare to come into the city. I use a space that is ten minutes from my home, there is a community of businesses where I can meet people, there are all the services that I need and it is affordable. There is also the option to make use of the Regus network, so I can work from other Regus locations in Brussels for meetings.”

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