Originally published on October 19, 2020 by Sanjay Rishi for NAIOP.
As the greatest work-from-home experiment ever continues, many companies are starting to think beyond how and when their workforce will return to the office and tackling a much broader issue: what role the office will play in their corporate strategy going forward.
The past six months have proven that many tasks – and in some cases complete roles and organizations – can be done virtually with little negative impact on productivity and job satisfaction. Yet, employees overwhelmingly want to return to the office, at least in some capacity. A work from home study conducted by Gensler from April to May indicated that, although most people (70%) want to return to the office for the majority of their week, 30% want a flexible work arrangement.
The role of the office in the future will vary from company to company, based on their unique culture and trends within their broader industry, but employee sentiment points to the office retaining its standing as a key driver of culture and magnet for in-demand talent. However, the shift to remote work will have wide-ranging implications, including where offices are located, how they are designed, who utilizes them and when they are occupied.