Corporate America’s return to office will be different for every company, but for most, the office will remain the center of the work ecosystem.

A physical office is central to each organization’s culture as it drives collaboration, innovation and enables professional growth.

We’ve learned what works best by jumping into the trenches with our clients—and by managing our own returnsuccessfully to JLL offices around the nation. While there is a critical opportunity for organizations to examine their workplace strategy, many companies are still solving for their immediate needs.

Here are four action items to consider:

Select office re-entry strategies for now and later

Health and safety are top priorities for people as they go back to the office, but there are many safeguards that help create a safer and healthier return. That said, workplace models should be built to shift. Tracking employee attendance and space utilization patterns from the moment you return can help guide your short-and long-term strategies. Prepare your space to ensure employees feel seen and heard, and remain willing to return on a regular basis.

In a recent report from JLL, 75 percent of employees claimed they expect to feel protected at work when expressing their difficulties or concerns, so both mental and physical health will remain a key priority for employers to support their people.

To successfully transition into a post-pandemic workplace, begin by answering the following questions:

• What safety, seating and operational needs will arise if 50 percent of your workforce is regularly back in the office? What about 75 percent and 100 percent?

If you don’t yet have a plan in place to bring your employees back to the office, our playbook for a future focused workplace can be tailored to your unique business purpose. Once you’ve hit your stride in getting back to the office, it’s time to optimize and prepare your real estate for longer-term transformation.

• How do you prepare your office for the future? We’re answering the top five questions companies are asking as they prepare their office and employees for post-pandemic work.

Your next office: A practical guide to creating an office that works for your people

• What’s impacting the office industry and what does the office of the future look like? These are just a few questions we answered during our webinar. Watch the recording on demand to better navigate changing office dynamics.

The truth about America’s return to the corporate office

Workplace strategies will require flexibility until we have better understanding of post-pandemic conditions. Many companies already embraced mobility or flex-space ahead of the pandemic, and hybrid work has a durable presence as the starting point in returning to the office. To get it right in the short-term, align your company needs to the following types of workplace models:

• Hybrid works for companies focused on innovation that can only happen in person, while also championing and supporting flexible lifestyles and personal choice of workspaces for their people.

• Remote-first fits companies focused primarily on cost savings with a culture that allows for flexibility and independent working with occasional in-person work or flex space options.

Great office environments bring a company’s best to its clients and employees. Done correctly, collaborative and purposeful offices add extra value as social and innovation hubs. It is essential that your office re-entry plan serves your unique business needs for employees and clients.

Before the pandemic, individual desks took up an average of 65 percent of most office space. As companies move toward a more flexible model, that number is expected to fall to about 40 percent.

You now have an opportunity to repurpose your space to meet new expectations and use it as a tool to attract and retain the right talent. Our Workforce Barometer report indicates that 63 percent of the workforce now prefer to alternate between different places of work, highlighting the need to create an office space where employees want to be. It will be critical that organizations align to new health and safety ideals by enhancing functionality, increasing seating choices, and refreshing meeting and greeting areas.

Moving forward, your office design needs to embrace the changing needs of your employees, such as increased amenities, space for health and wellness, and areas for socializing and collaboration. This new open space, along with job creation and de-densification, will likely offset space reduction.

Knowing and understanding trends and opportunities can make all the difference when it comes to costs. Our Fit-Out Cost Guide can provide you with an idea of what you can expect to pay for a typical office fit-out in the United States.

Invest in technology that enhances the workplace experience and efficiency

Technology is reshaping the modern office. To gain a competitive edge, organizations will become reliant on the technologies that create smarter spaces. Investments in technology can help organizations make data driven decisions about their real-estate, help create a workplace built for employees’ needs and improve workplace performance.