According to a 2013 workplace survey in the United States conducted by Gensler’s Workplace Index, there is a positive correlation between being in a physical office space and business performance, workplace productivity, and employee experience. Offices often encourage concentration, collaboration, learning, and socialization.
Offices also play a crucial role in cultivating company culture and developing unique branding. Employees attend meetings, engage with their peers, and communicate with clients and partners inside the company's offices. Offices have been designed to provide employees with sufficient functional space to exchange ideas and the necessary equipment to work efficiently.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, many businesses grappled with the challenges of keeping their employees safe while maintaining a sense of normalcy to sustain their operations. Some companies opted for physical distancing by installing panels between desks. Other companies implemented distributed office and rotating work systems to allow only a percentage of the workforce to come in on alternate shifts and days. Some businesses, however, chose to close their offices and workplaces, allowing their employees to work from home exclusively.
Despite the major disruption of the pandemic on office-goers, surveys revealed that employers switched to remote work quickly and improved the overall employee experience. According to PwC’s US Remote Work Survey gathered in the last few months of 2020, 83 percent of employers reported success in implementing remote work. In an initial survey conducted in June 2020, 44 percent of executives surveyed revealed that average employee productivity had improved, citing better project collaboration and customer service. This same figure rose to 52 percent in December 2020.
In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, most employees who worked from home full or part-time found their day-to-day tasks manageable and somewhat easy. In fact, 87 percent of the employees stated that they had access to the needed technology and equipment to perform their jobs well, while 77 percent believed their work spaces were sufficient. Eighty percent could meet project deadlines on time, 68 percent could manage their tasks without distractions, and 64 percent were inspired to do their jobs. Given a choice, a resounding majority of the employees preferred to work from home permanently.
While numerous companies are adjusting to a possibly permanent hybrid or remote work model, many of the businesses that rely on office-goers have raised concerns about devaluing their attractiveness to customers and neglecting their business models. For instance, a restaurant owner in New York stated that while three out of five days of offices being full is better than zero, it is not a long-term solution. In real estate, the option of remote work has more people thinking about leaving major metropolitan cities in favor of new locations to reduce their living costs and enjoy more space. This resulted in housing inventory increasing in the United States’ most expensive cities, such as San Francisco and New York, and listing prices to go down.
With the direction the future of work is going, remote work is definitely here to stay, at least for certain industries that benefit from it. Virtually all business sectors must be prepared to change how they operate fundamentally. They must use their knowledge of the market, expertise, and technologies at their disposal to cover all the bases to remain competitive.
Offices also play a crucial role in cultivating company culture and developing unique branding. Employees attend meetings, engage with their peers, and communicate with clients and partners inside the company's offices. Offices have been designed to provide employees with sufficient functional space to exchange ideas and the necessary equipment to work efficiently.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, many businesses grappled with the challenges of keeping their employees safe while maintaining a sense of normalcy to sustain their operations. Some companies opted for physical distancing by installing panels between desks. Other companies implemented distributed office and rotating work systems to allow only a percentage of the workforce to come in on alternate shifts and days. Some businesses, however, chose to close their offices and workplaces, allowing their employees to work from home exclusively.
Despite the major disruption of the pandemic on office-goers, surveys revealed that employers switched to remote work quickly and improved the overall employee experience. According to PwC’s US Remote Work Survey gathered in the last few months of 2020, 83 percent of employers reported success in implementing remote work. In an initial survey conducted in June 2020, 44 percent of executives surveyed revealed that average employee productivity had improved, citing better project collaboration and customer service. This same figure rose to 52 percent in December 2020.
In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center, most employees who worked from home full or part-time found their day-to-day tasks manageable and somewhat easy. In fact, 87 percent of the employees stated that they had access to the needed technology and equipment to perform their jobs well, while 77 percent believed their work spaces were sufficient. Eighty percent could meet project deadlines on time, 68 percent could manage their tasks without distractions, and 64 percent were inspired to do their jobs. Given a choice, a resounding majority of the employees preferred to work from home permanently.
While numerous companies are adjusting to a possibly permanent hybrid or remote work model, many of the businesses that rely on office-goers have raised concerns about devaluing their attractiveness to customers and neglecting their business models. For instance, a restaurant owner in New York stated that while three out of five days of offices being full is better than zero, it is not a long-term solution. In real estate, the option of remote work has more people thinking about leaving major metropolitan cities in favor of new locations to reduce their living costs and enjoy more space. This resulted in housing inventory increasing in the United States’ most expensive cities, such as San Francisco and New York, and listing prices to go down.
With the direction the future of work is going, remote work is definitely here to stay, at least for certain industries that benefit from it. Virtually all business sectors must be prepared to change how they operate fundamentally. They must use their knowledge of the market, expertise, and technologies at their disposal to cover all the bases to remain competitive.
