How might the existing work environment be re-imagined, pulling employees out of their remote settings and back into the office?
As companies start to put teeth into their return to office (RTO) strategies, tying attendance to reviewsand emphasizing how visibility contributes to a better career path (a/k/a If you don’t show up, you won’t move up), employees are still pushing back. Employers are being asked for a value proposition in exchange for the expectation of attendance. This question becomes particularly tricky when managers are supervising disparate groups of employees, many of whom have scattered during the pandemic to lower cost suburban communities. In some cases, they have left the state altogether. So, what makes the commute worth it?
As a tenant advisory firm, Cresa asks employees how they work from home, and where. For many, they start the day at a desk, then move around the house, likely spending hours in an easy chair or at the kitchen table.They behave in many ways like the internally mobile office employees of the pre-pandemic. Until 2020,companies were touting neighborhoods, soft seating,library space, and open desking as the solution that tied together productivity and wellness. So what is preventing companies from taking this model in which they heavily invested pre 2020 and asking their people to simply use the darn thing? The answer is in applying the elements that already exist, but with more intentionality. Meaning, many organizations are paying closer attention to the comforts of working from home and incorporating them into their office design while raising the bar. Words like “hospitality suites”, or “clubhouse” are being used. Think about what brought you to trudge through the snow or rain to your university library? What is your favorite chair at home? What does your Pinterest dream living room look and feel like? Which airport club has the right mix of energy and quiet when you travel? These are all places where you sought to work.
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