We believe that the office is not dead, but the way offices are used has changed forever. For many companies, 2020 proved that work is not a place and that work can get done from anywhere. According to a Harvard Business Review article, not only are workers believed to be more productive at home, but they also have been able to focus on work that they find is important. In a ServiceNow survey, 92% of executives say the pandemic made their company rethink how they work and 87% of employees say it’s an improvement. Also, 88% of the businesses surveyed that went remote due to COVID-19 were able to reduce operating expenses.
These statistics speak for themselves, remote work is here to stay and will be balanced with in-office work in the post-pandemic world. What does this mean for many of our clients, their employees, and commercial real estate?
Hybrid Office(s)
The workplace of the future will allow a more flexible work environment and work schedule. Architects and designers in commercial real estate will need to rethink how employees will interact with the workplace and how employees get work done.
Empowered Employees
The workplace of the future will allow employees to choose where and how to do their best work. For some, being in the office hasn’t equated to being more productive. On top of productivity remote/flexible work has proven to lead to a significant increase in job satisfaction.
Beyond The Office Workplace Culture
The workplace of the future will focus on demonstrating company values and culture through a wider scope of channels. In our July blog post, Is Company Culture Canceled? we touched on ways to keep your employees engaged while working remotely. As the remote workforce grows, companies will have to navigate new ways of keeping employees engaged and accountable.
While we believe that remote work is here to stay, it is also clear that as we look into the future, the office is not dead. In 2021 we expect to see some of our clients choosing to lease out more locations that are more convenient for their employees rather than have an HQ. We also expect some of our clients to expand their current office footprint to allow for more flexibility. At the end of the day, every company is navigating their future workplace a little differently. At Wildmor we are excited to help companies reimagine their new normal and plan their future workplace, because the future of work is now and the future of work is flexibility.
