In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, across industries and around the world, expensive office space sat idle as employees adapted to working remotely. As the crisis dragged on, prevailing wisdom suggested that large, heavily populated offices would become obsolete in a new, post-COVID normal. Yet, as the initial euphoria of the zero-minute commute and all-day pajama wearing faded, managers and staff recognized that all the benefits of working cooperatively in one place cannot be reproduced on video calls.
What does this mean for the office of the near- and long-term future? As is often the case, the best solution lies somewhere in the middle – between the traditional in-person office experience and full-time remote work.
