For this research project, the coDesign and Revise teams held 35 focused interviews, had 100s of conversations with organizations, and layered their own findings from their everyday hands-on experience to gather insights from global real estate leaders across a variety of industries on their needs and goals within the workplace.

Workshop goals:

1. Connect – create open lines of communication among top real estate executives and industry experts where they were able to be transparent.

2. Share – use intimate1:1 sessions to stimulate thoughtful conversations around evolution of the workplace.

3. Learn & Ideate – transform individual data points and findings into meaningful insights to help push the needle forward.

The resounding, recurring them:

Everyone is struggling to get employees back to the office, and most companies feel they hold too much real estate that is not meeting their current or future work needs.

5 Key themes and Takeaways:

1. Getting back into the office: one size doesn’t fit all

Bringing people back into the office is not a black and white solution. Like everything since Covid, it feels murky and undefined. 

70% of companies do not have a RTO mandate, and the majority that do are large enterprises with more than 17,000 employees.

And while roughly 3 out of 4 companies don’t mandate their employees to return to the office a set number of days, 91% of the organizations surveyed did have a clear in-person-first policy.

So, what do mandates mean for employees?

Attrition: people would rather quit than be forced to return-to-office.

Resistance: for many, coming into the office poses a complex and challenging transition.

See more on mandates on pages 18-25 of the linked whitepaper, Reshaping the ‘Right Now’ of Work and Place.

2. No more commands: empower and inspire your teams

Find out the many benefits – for both employer and employee – when commands are removed and replaced with tools to empower.

To empower an employee means giving authority, autonomy, and resources to make decisions and take action in their work.

Trust, support, and opportunities need to be provided so they can grow in their role.

46% of the organizations we spoke with place the responsibility of managing employee’s hybrid schedules on first line and middle managers.

This burden not only increases managerial workload, but tasks them with motivating and inspiring their teams to find their way back to the workplace while simultaneously being stripped of their own tools of empowerment.

So, trust in your team members is necessity. By doing so, you collectively gain:

1. Increased productivity

2. Improved job satisfaction

3. Enhanced creativity and innovation

4. Higher employee engagement

5. Better collaboration and teamwork

6. Increased retention and loyalty

7. Personal and professional growth

See more on what it means to empower your team on pages 26-33 of the linked whitepaper, Reshaping the ‘Right Now’ of Work and Place.

3. Human connection: the driving force of productivity

For employees to build connections with one another, they need to be given the time and space to truly get to know each other in real ways.

100% of companies unanimously agree that today it takes significantly more effort to foster a sense of connection among employees. Because of this companies need to focus on increasing their in-person culture and create spaces that are human-first.

This means the immediate answer is not downsizing – it’s right-sizing.

Modifying your workspace to fit the major shift in work culture requires a much greater holistic approach.

Some ways companies we spoke with are promoting connection and improving workplace culture are:

1. No laptop days

2. Rotating desk arrangements

3. Office retreats

4. L&D workshops and classes

5. Team building events and programming

6. Mindfulness and movement sessions

See more on the benefits of human connection in the workplace on pages 34-39 of the linked whitepaper, Reshaping the ‘Right Now’ of Work and Place.

4. Balancing unity and privacy: A moving target

Staying flexible is paramount, which means readjusting space to meet the needs of every employee.

Determining an optimal mix of focus and collaborative spaces is more challenging because it’s now a moving target and companies are finding it more difficult to predict space needs due to fluid work patterns and evolving preferences.

The balance is driven by the type of work being done, personal workstyles within the organization, and the specific culture of each company.

The Tech and Engineering industry reported the lowest average space utilization at only 10%, where the Financial Tech industry reported the highest average space utilization at 65%.

While the role that the offices play is constantly evolving, the essential workplace needs persist:

1. Private areas to focus, take calls, and work alone

2. Open areas to meet, collaborate, and socialize

3. Ability and freedom to choose either space with ease.

To attract and retain employees in the office, companies must offer all three and balance them in accordance with how they work.

See more on the importance of flexibility in the workplace on pages 40-45 of the linked whitepaper, Reshaping the ‘Right Now’ of Work and Place.

5. Embracing diversities: Bridging the divide

We know that a diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial to generating unique ideas and harnessing different perspectives.

56% of companies believe diversity helps drive innovation. With only a little over half of companies addressing this truth, there’s clearly a divide that needs to be bridged.

A particular focus right now, born from Covid-19 and the shift in how we work, is the generational gap.

So where do we start?

Empathy.

Without empathy, employers cannot properly acknowledge and foster varying generational preferences and perspectives. Which means starting at a deficit AND leaving team members behind.

After empathy is in play, employers can begin to bridge the generational gap by introducing:

1. Adaptable workplaces

2. Hybrid tech and traditional tool integration

3. Mentoring programs

4. Personalized training and support

5. Wellness facilities

6. Open dialogue and solicited feedback

See more on the power of empathy in the workplace on pages 46-49 of the linked whitepaper, Reshaping the ‘Right Now’ of Work and Place.

Next Steps: Learning From Each Other

This research was developed by a coalition and learning from our peers. To create a bespoke experience, we recommend the following framework:

1. Assess needs: standardizing your space approach

2. Formulate strategy: shaping your policies and informing design

3. Design responsively: crafting spaces that support you

4. Integrate technology: supporting productivity in a hybrid workplace

5. Foster community: leveraging diversity and promoting well-being

6. Improve continuously: connecting to the space and each other

For more information and insights on hybrid work transitions, returning to the office challenges, and how various industries are managing workplace culture, productivity, and operations, download our whitepaper, Reshaping the ‘Right Now’ of Work and Place and visit coDesign and Revise to connect with our teams.