In December, after 20 months of planning, BST & Co. moved into a new office in Latham that includes a separate space for employees who normally work remotely. Pictured here in the foreground is Ron Guzior, managing partner, right, with Judy Cahee, a CPA and a partner in the firm, in the new coworking space.
One business in the Albany area has moved into a new office with a coworking space for remote employees.
Another has added a play area for employees’ kids to hang out if the parents need to work late.
And a third company is about to downsize to an office with a patio that allows employees to work outside in warmer months.
Almost three years after the pandemic forced businesses to trade in suits and conference room meetings for sweatpants and Zoom calls, companies in the Albany region are making long-term investments into rethinking and rebuilding their offices as they adjust to the new ways employees are working.
About half of all U.S. companies that can work remotely plan to continue with a hybrid work schedule, according to a poll from Gallup. Organizations want to bring employees back together again — even for one or two days a week — to maintain a company culture and as a recruiting and retention tool in an increasingly tough job market. But employees need a compelling reason to leave the comfort of their homes (and their couch) to come to the office.
Zac Conley, managing partner of Cresa’s Albany and Rochester offices, has talked to more companies recently that are choosing to invest in new office spaces to better suit the way they work now instead of re-signing pre-pandemic leases.
“What we’re finding more is this reinvention of the workspace,” Conley said. “What is the future in every company is completely individualistic when it comes to what their needs are.”
We spoke with four executives about how their companies and clients are reinventing the office for the new age of working.
This article was originally published by Albany Business Review, see the full article here.