Reimagining our employee and client experience in partnership with WeWork

3/30/2021

News

by Cossette

Vision7 International’s Montreal-based agencies launch a pilot project to explore a new operating model and hybrid work styles, in partnership with WeWork.

Brokered by real estate services firm JLL, the flexible membership agreement will see the group’s agencies, Cossette, Cossette Media, Septième, Jungle, K72, Citizen Relations (Citoyen), Impact Research and the Colony Project, move to WeWork's new space in the historic building located at 1010, Sainte-Catherine West in the heart of downtown Montreal, in December 2021.

Our lease is coming to an end in the midst of a real estate market disruption. The timing is right for us to pilot a new model where we can not only enhance our employee and client experiences, but also conduct valuable research and development on what the future of work will look like for our industry. WeWork’s flexible membership terms will allow us to focus on our core business, while empowering our teams with the freedom they want and the creativity enabling space they need.

Louis Duchesne, President, Quebec and East, at Cossette

Results of an internal survey showed that when it’s safe to go back to the office, 96% of Vision7’s 400 Montreal-based employees would prefer a hybrid work model. Such a model would give them the flexibility to work remotely while also having an inspiring space for in-person collaboration to feel a sense of community at a rhythm that works for them.

Over the past year, everyone has had to reevaluate what the future of work looks like. There has been a significant global shift and it’s become clear that the future of work will be centered on flexibility. Now more than ever before, the notion that companies must choose between entirely office-based or remote work is no longer reality. It can - and should - be both. We are thrilled to see companies like Vision7 provide flexible options for their teams to collaborate and connect in at WeWork.

Stephen Tapp, Territory Vice President of WeWork Canada

Staff will have access to 35,000 sq. ft. of dedicated space specifically designed as an office that maximizes productivity and connectivity through purpose-driven and activity-based work areas. Employees will have the opportunity to test different ways of working and find a space that suits their workstyle of choice — be it a collaboration hub for meetings or a quiet space for heads-down work. They will also have access to all of WeWork’s shared spaces within the building, including lounge areas, reading nooks, phone booths for private calls, conference rooms and an on-site café.

Managed office space and short-term commercial leases for large companies are very rare in the Montreal real estate market, but they’re something that more businesses are inquiring about, and a sign of just how much things have changed as a result of the pandemic. It’s difficult to predict exactly what the future of work will look like, but this new forward-thinking agreement with built-in flexibility definitely puts Vision7 ahead of the curve.

Andrew Bissett, Executive Vice-President at JLL