Return to office or virtual work? Hybrid model or full-time in person? Now that individual companies and even entire industries are moving to get employees back in the office at least a few days a week, they are looking to create workplaces that are incentives in themselves—spaces that are designed to make work more efficient, more collaborative and more pleasant. And they’re using residential and hospitality trends to do it.
Back to the Office, By the Numbers
Based on a study of more than 140,000 remote-capable employees, Gallup recently found that only 9% want to be full-time in the office. 59% reported a preference for a hybrid schedule and 32% said they would prefer to work exclusively remote. Clearly, the vast majority of people like working from home, at least a couple of days a week. At the same time, a PwC study found that 36% of executive-level leaders say that loss of company culture is the biggest challenge to the hybrid work model. Combine all these statistics with higher turnover and an increased incidence of employee burnout, and it’s clear that finding a balance is something of a challenge.
Our clients run the gamut from having one large office space to being spread across the country in multiple locations. One thing we have seen that they have in common is that leading by example is key to a successful return-to-office program. Yet another study found that even when in-person work is mandated, executives are half as likely to show up compared to more junior employees. We probably don’t have to explain what that can do for staff morale.
Luckily, this is a problem that can be helped significantly through design. And for leaders who see that in-person collaboration is a missing part of building and nurturing a company’s culture, making the office feel like home but better is part of the key to getting people back to the office.