“Pack up your bags. You’ll be working from home for the next two weeks!”
In the middle of March, 2020, those words were echoed in offices around the country as companies scrambled to develop work-from-home policies and procedures, prepare employees with the right kind of tech, and figure out how to suddenly work remotely. Some companies shifted gears entirely, offering products they'd never made before and finding new markets to serve and value to offer within their communities.
As "two weeks" turned into two months and time continued to go on, a strong concern began to spread throughout the real estate and commercial communities: "what's going to happen to the office?" Surely, this large gathering place that houses hundreds (if not thousands) of people at a time will be a thing of the past! How will our teams ever physically get together again? What will happen to these spaces? Frankly, why would we ever go back if we can do this all virtually?
Facts and Figures
Right from the start, we knew the office wouldn't be gone for good. Our own initial research of 400+ midwest working professionals told us that, while only 12% wanted to physically work in the office all the time from here on out, almost everyone (94%!) still wanted the office as an optional place to get work done, and 63% wanted a part-office, part-home working style. Beyond the lost social interaction, people missed the ease of collaboration and communication that closer physical proximity brought; some parts of working together just can't be replaced on a video call, noted by our associates and respondents.
Beyond our research, other leaders in commercial spaces like JLL, Brookfield, and Gensler reported similar findings: the office isn't going anywhere, and people want to return to it - albeit, a slightly different kind of office with added health and safety measures in place.
With all of this in mind, a few conclusions began to solidify. Original fears that the office was going to permanently vanish were unfounded and simply wrong; rather, the office and collective workspaces have healthy lives ahead of them, but they will likely look quite a bit different in the future compared to what some have now. We also knew people wanted the flexibility to work remotely or in the office, and we knew that meant the layout of offices (and the landscape of the industry in general) would be quickly changing.
The Future is Flexible
If there is one overarching thing we can say about the future of the workplace, it's that flexibility will be is key. Spaces need to provide for employees in a way that keeps them feeling safe and comfortable, enabling and empowering them to work their best. Creating flexible spaces that allow for quick "drop-zone" work, can be rearranged for larger meetings, can function for employees who would prefer to work solely in-office, etc. gives companies the flexible kind of spaces that employees expect out of a future workplace. For many, "the office" as a concept will shift to serve as a gathering space, a place where large (safe) meetings are held, and where collaboration between teams and teammates can flourish.
Of course, health and safety are crucial in order for the office to stay a comfortable place for your team, and of all the workplace changes we've seen in 2020, this is one that will likely stick around for quite some time. Even after a vaccine, people want to feel safe, and measures such as temperature checks, sanitization stations, and private, solitary spaces (away from others) will help our employees maintain an assured comfort when inside the workplace, leading to better productivity and a happier team!
A New Era of Where We Work
Though 2020 has been a year unlike any we've experienced before, it's good - and somewhat comforting - to remember that we're no stranger to changes in the workplace. The way we work has been a constant evolution; for centuries, the style in which we work has been changing and evolving with the needs of the workers and the way the world works! Cubicles weren't introduced until the 1960s, for example, and the "open office" style that many of us have come to know today has fluctuated in popularity throughout the last century - even well before it!
Flexible, healthier, multipurpose spaces: that's the workplace of tomorrow, fueled by innovation to serve our teams in the best possible ways. See some of the amazing new spaces we're creating for tomorrow's workers, and discover just how we can help your team plan for the kind of space you need!
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