Workplace Ecosystems of the Future

Once the pandemic is over, no one will expect workers to come into the office to primarily answer emails—that and any other heads-down tasks can be done anywhere. So, what purpose will the office serve in the future? How will that purpose impact how occupiers think about their portfolio footprints, location strategy and office layouts? These and many other questions about the post-pandemic office are addressed in the latest report from Cushman & Wakefield.

• A mix of in-office and remote work options are likely to maximize employee and organizational performance.
• Employees want choice and freedom in where they work, but few want to work outside the office exclusively.
• There are clear downsides to the pandemic-induced work-from-home (WFH) period. Office workers feel disconnected from corporate culture, personal wellbeing has suffered, and employees feel that they have had fewer opportunities to learn, especially through informal mentoring.
• Lack of in-office work has a disproportionately negative impact on certain workers (e.g. young employees and new hires).

The above key findings from the previous report in Cushman & Wakefield’s “New Perspective: From Pandemic to Performance” series became a basis for further research.

The firm’s latest report examines what the future of the office will look like in a post-COVID-19 world by exploring investor, occupier and placemarker feedback and by analyzing historical WFH penetration rates.

The latest report presents the following:

• Feedback from focus groups on the changing purpose of the office. The report includes key insights gleaned from owners, occupiers and placemakers regarding remote work, flexibility, office layouts, office usage, business outcomes and location strategy.
• Critical ways organizations will adapt and tailor their strategies, processes and leadership to create the workplace ecosystems of the future that maximize company performance.
• Estimated impact of increased WFH on office absorption (based on data from 35 U.S. markets).

“Our research clearly demonstrates that the future of the workplace strategy will be defined by a hybrid work model, and very few organizations will implement 100% remote working. What’s more, organizations implementing a fully remote work model could look for top talent further afield, but the challenges of employee management and retention will require additional resources, with no guarantee of success. And as for hybrid work, it fits in with the trend of flexibility targeted by both organizations and employees,” says Jan Szulborski, Senior Consultant, Consulting & Research, Cushman & Wakefield.

The full report is attached.

Autor:

Cushman & Wakefield

Last Updated on January 14, 2021 by Karolina Ampulska