As companies reopen offices, they must focus on utilizing their spaces to meet their employees’ needs. 

Some teams use tech to measure how their spaces are being used so that they can design based on actual demand.

With privacy being the biggest concern among employees with smart offices, how can companies ensure they collect accurate data while respecting a reasonable amount of privacy in the workplace?

Technology and privacy

Stigmas of babysitting surround workplace technology — tracking movement and productivity with the scroll of a mouse or time at a seat. Keystroke monitoring, employee email correspondence, social media, and general internet use can all be tracked with simple programs.

But workplace privacy is integral to a positive hybrid environment.

But with the number of employers using tools to track their employees doubling to 60% since the start of the pandemic — and expectations to rise up to 70% by 2025 — this stigma may be staying put.

Privacy protections often come down to individual state laws, but in many cases, these laws haven’t kept pace with the rapid ways electronic surveillance is changing. Laws like the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), place some limitations on an employer’s right to monitor its employees’ telephone usage at work. Under the ECPA, an employer may not monitor an employee’s personal phone calls, even those made from telephones on work premises.

But individual companies need to take take a clear stance on employee rights to privacy in the workplace — and be intentional in the tech they choose to bring inside the workplace.

Antiquated technology like badge data gathers personally identifiable information each time someone swipes their badge. When reports are generated to analyze building space usage, that information needs to be scrubbed before it’s passed off. This process leaves room for information leaking and human error and ultimately an invasion of privacy.

Some camera systems come equipped with facial recognition. This type of technology often runs a continuous video stream, vulnerable to hacking. Facial recognition information can be stored, giving hackers access to personally identifiable information. 

As privacy hacks increase around the world, employees are wary of when and how their data will be used.

“Really the question that every company should ask themselves is this — ‘What do I need this data for, and does the identity of the individuals weigh into the data that will inform impactful change to what we do, how we do it, and why we do it?’” says Devorah Rosner of Twilio. 

But not all technology is created equally. Workplace leaders can implement programs that gather data on how space is used without tracking their employees’ productivity. This technology focuses on how spaces are being used, not the amount of work being completed. This type of data doesn’t need a face, only a vote of the feet. 

Workplace privacy and measuring your workplace

Instead of invasive cameras, a sensor-based system can track movement and usage without identification. Instead of face recognition devices, radar sensors can measure meeting room capacity in real-time. 

With 68% of employees preferring to work remotely, it’s important to create a welcoming workplace environment, one where video surveillance is not front and center. Implementing ways to measure space without invading employee privacy can help to create the safe and welcoming environment many employees are seeking. 

Above is an example of two employees working in a space, measured by our Open Area sensors. Their presence is represented anonymously, keeping their privacy intact while measuring how a particular space is being used. 

Companies use this technology to get the answers they need without sacrificing employee experience and protecting employee privacy. “It was important for us when we were putting in space sensors that they did not identify people. We have to be protective of our business, but we also have to be protective of our employees’ information and data. And that’s important to me,” says Larry Charlip of Take-Two.

Taking this approach of giving equal weight to the employer’s right to gather business data and the privacy of the employees that work there is what will help to give employees the trust factor they are looking for.  

Employees’ voices are loud and clear

As hybrid work continues to alter our work, change is met with questions and uncertainty. Employees are more empowered than ever to voice their needs in the workplace. This is a time to listen to employees.

The pandemic has highlighted the need to measure spaces. But as Andrew Farah, CEO of Density, explained at Axios: What’s Next Summit (2022), there is never a good excuse to invade privacy.

We’re all learning how to cope with new hybrid workflows, but it will take a human-centric approach to make it happen. Leveraging workplace data to create valuable and informative decisions and understand how our employees think and feel about our workplaces while ensuring their privacy stays intact will be the drivers of a successful future of work. 

When gaining insights into how employees feel about their workplace, feedback is highly effective. It’s direct, insightful, and a meaningful way to create trust, empower employees, and build interoffice relationships. 

But, it’s also highly subjective and, because of that, can be misleading. 

Gain context to the data you gather 

Employee input is rooted in opinion, not data. It’s skewed by biases and preconceptions. While their input is important, office space and layout decisions should be based on the kind of objectivity that feedback alone can’t provide.

Using only employee input as the determining factor for structuring your office — whether it’s fully remodeling an existing floor plan​​, or adjusting a staggered schedule — will leave room for inaccuracies. Instead, it’s important to gain a comprehensive understanding of your space with data with space utilization technology. 

Data can show metrics like occupancy information, station usage, and traffic patterns. Once you have those metrics, you can then use employee feedback to give context to the data. 

The heatmap above, of our Density HQ in San Francisco, shows which spaces were most used on a specific day. But that alone can’t tell us why they are being used. That is where employee feedback would come in. By using utilization data to first identify which spaces are used, feedback can then give context to what was happening in that space or why it is preferred over others. 

The metrics of collaborative space 

Collaborative spaces like conference rooms are often used unequally, but why? 

What defines a great conference room? They need to be comfortable, inspiring, properly sized, and outfitted with tools for productive work. Conference rooms also must accommodate the fluctuating needs of multiple teams. 

But a conference room can’t be all things to all people. The constant shift of employees, projects, and meetings means these spaces will have unique functions that can change daily. It also means that depending on who is using them, they might appear to serve only one of their varying uses.

For example, the image above shows more activity in one conference room than the other. But why? Is it that they are outfitted with different technologies? Are they equipped for different-sized teams? Asking these specific questions to your employees can give you the story behind the data.

Employee feedback might reflect that one of the rooms is too small when in fact, it’s actually overutilized and overbooked. At the same time, an employee on a staggered schedule may incorrectly assess how a conference room is used because they are only seeing it on certain days. In both cases, feedback alone would create an incomplete picture of what is taking place. 

Data that is collected continuously provides a direct and objective measure of exactly how a conference room is, or isn’t, being used. Occupancy data reveals precise usage patterns that tell you when a specific room sees high traffic, for how long, and on what days of the week and time of the day.

Data can give truth to feedback. From there, decisions can be made on how to create more usable space for conference room needs. 

Knowing what kind of space employees need makes for a positive office experience

Office experience can often be described as the luxurious amenities of Big Tech campuses that tout the likes of free food, on-location dry cleaning, and 24/7 gyms. And while those are certainly appealing, the bedrock of office experience is a space that offers employees the tools, technology, and functionality needed to do their job effectively. 

This has as much to do with what is in a space as the space itself. For example, some teams will come to the office to collaborate while others may need room for focused and uninterrupted work. The collaborative team requires conference rooms and open spaces to enable communication with large monitors and A/V equipment. Conversely, those that want to do heads-down work need individual desks that provide privacy such as soundproof phone booths or removable dividers. 

In the example above, feedback from each team would be counterproductive to what the other needs. Trying to optimize space just from that polar input could be frustrating and prove ineffective — resulting in wasted time and money, and impractical reallocation. 

Instead, decisions need to be made from real-time data that shows how employees actually use their space combined with employee input. When you know exactly where people spend their time, you learn more about what they need. 

Measuring the workplace this way reveals what kinds of space is needed: How often are certain phone booths occupied? How much does an area with soft seating get used? Which collaborative spaces are most frequented? What desks are often empty? By having metrics that answer these fundamental questions, precise allocation can meet a complex variety of needs. 

Comprehensive measurement also creates a detailed picture of the way those spaces are used. Even if an area is allocated correctly, it can still be underutilized because of how it functions.

Building better spaces

By listening to what employees want and aligning it with data from their actual usage, managers can create an office experience that leaves them feeling valued, engaged, and able to do their best work. And while there is no doubt that involves employee input, at the end of the day, better spaces are built from a combination of feedback and data.

Key takeaways

• The modern workforce is diverse, and office designs must be inclusive to support the needs of everyone on your team.
• Workplace teams that are new to inclusive design practices may not be able to visualize the many ways an office can be transformed to work for everyone. Reviewing examples of inclusive design like the ones below can provide valuable insights.
• Inclusive office design is the right thing to do from an ethical stance, and it also comes with many benefits for organizations. Inclusive design efforts can increase revenue, productivity, and employee retention.

Inclusion matters at every level, including your office design

The importance of D&I in the hiring process has been in the spotlight over the past few years. While many employers have made significant progress in this area, it’s less common for companies to make similar progressive changes toward more inclusive workplace design.

Traditionally, offices have been designed to suit neurotypical individuals with binary genders and without disabilities. Employees with identities that fall outside of that haven’t received the consideration they need to perform their best. This means that your current office design likely needs an overhaul to create a space that supports everyone’s needs. 

“It’s fundamental to be able to deliver a workplace experience for everyone,” says Rob Blair, Global Workplace Manager at TravelPerk. The new office can help retain talent, optimize productivity, and more.

Inclusive offices generate 5.5 times more revenue than their less inclusive counterparts. 

Benefits of inclusive workplace design 

• Increased revenue. Diverse teams provide a wider range of perspectives, creating more opportunities for innovative, money-making ideas. Inclusive offices generate 5.5 times more revenue than their less inclusive counterparts. 
• Increased productivity and better employee experience. A work environment that doesn’t support everyone’s needs can be a drain on workers’ time, energy, and enthusiasm. It can be stressful and even demoralizing for an employee to try to force a space to work for them. When you design the office for everyone, these problems disappear, increasing employee engagement and productivity.
• Better employee retention. An inclusive office improves retention rates by creating a space where every employee is accommodated and given a great workplace experience. Companies that provide inclusive office spaces can see retention rates 5.4 times higher than less inclusive offices.
• Better returns on real estate investments. Real estate is one of the top expenses for most companies, so it’s important to get as much value as possible from your office building. Designing an inclusive workspace that supports the needs and well-being of employees can improve occupancy rates, meaning less square footage is going to waste.

Employee feedback is essential for inclusive office design

Inclusive workplace design must go beyond the basics of universal design trends such as ramps and wide doorways. Physical ability, mental health, gender identity, age, parenthood, and work styles are all aspects of a diverse workforce that should be considered in inclusive design. 

To ensure you’re creating the best work environment for your staff, it’s critical to collect employee feedback.

“I think we can all do our best to drive equal representation. And we do that by listening to our people, giving everyone a seat at the table, and giving [everyone] a chance to express their views with an open mindset,” Rob says. 

Employees are the backbone of your organization — their input should be considered when making decisions that will affect their work. 

“I think we can all do our best to drive equal representation.

Rob Blair, Global Workplace Manager at TravelPerk

When surveying employees, aim to learn things like:

• Do they feel the office accommodates their needs? 
• Are there any design elements that make them uncomfortable, such as crowded meeting rooms or gendered bathrooms? 
• What would a perfect office look like for them? 
• Does your office provide comparable experiences? For instance, does a worker with impaired hearing have a comparable video conference experience to an employee without hearing impairment?

In addition to individual feedback, employers can collect another form of employee feedback through building utilization data. Every day, employees “vote with their feet” for the spaces they find most useful. This data can provide valuable insights into how effective your inclusive design changes are. 

Examples of feedback and utilization data working together for inclusive office design

Scenario 1: 

Your employee survey results show a need for a lactation room for nursing parents. The workplace team creates a space for this, but utilization data shows that people rarely use it. Your staff has already indicated this is a need, so a lack of use shows that some element is still not quite right.

Further feedback from employees who are nursing reveals that they don’t feel comfortable using the space because the door doesn’t lock. That’s an easy fix, and once made, data confirms that the lactation room is now a success.

Scenario 2:

Employee feedback reveals that some workers feel the open-office layout is too noisy and distracting. It causes their productivity to drop and is a daily source of stress that affects their mental health. 

The workplace team recognizes this need for more quiet work areas, but no obvious locations come to mind. After reviewing workspace utilization data, they see that employees seldom use meeting room B. 

Since that room isn’t performing well, they repurpose it, adding office pods where employees who need a quieter environment can comfortably do their work. A few weeks after introducing this new quiet room, data shows that employees now consistently use the updated space.

What does inclusive design look like?

Inclusive workplace design should support a diverse range of differences, from physical disabilities to neurodivergence. The two scenarios above provide a peek at what inclusive workplace design looks like in practice, but there are many ways that companies can design for a diverse staff. 

10 examples of inclusive office design

1. Audio transcripts for digital displays, such as a monitor that shows which conference rooms are currently in use. This provides a comparable experience between workers with and without visual impairments. 
2. Convertible desks that can be used in seated or standing positions ensure that workers who have trouble maintaining one position for too long can work comfortably throughout the day. 
3. Ergonomic chairs and keyboards provide increased comfort for employees and help avoid injuries such as back or wrist strain. 
4. Adjustable office chairs can be raised or lowered to suit workers of any height.
5. Gender-neutral restrooms ensure that employees who are trans or non-binary don’t have to stress about choosing the “right” bathroom.
6. Uncrowded office layouts allow enough space for someone with a wheelchair or crutches to maneuver comfortably. 
7. Flat-panel light switches and levered door handles follow the “closed fist” rule, ensuring that people with disabilities and limited dexterity can operate them with ease.
8. Lactation rooms are important for employees who are nursing, especially in the context of the post-pandemic office, where there are now over 1 million fewer women in the workplace.
9. Quiet rooms for focus work allow employees with ADHD or other concentration difficulties to focus on their work in a less distracting and stressful environment.
10. Greenery and natural light are important in the modern workplace. These features naturally reduce stress and make the office environment more enjoyable.

The modern office must be diverse and inclusive to be successful. Rethinking office design and moving toward a more inclusive built environment gives employees a sense of belonging that traditional workspaces can’t provide. Your employees’ feedback and building utilization patterns are your best resources for discovering the inclusive design strategies that will be most effective for your team.

Nearly 60% of employees demand flexibility, yet more than half of employers don’t offer hybrid work options. That according to our survey of 1,000 employees. Is this a case of employers being “shybrid”, as Paul McKinlay, Vice President of Communications and Remote Working at Cimpress suggests? 

McKinlay defines shybrid as continually pushing back return dates without declaring on a future model and leaving people in this limbo. This state of limbo can have disastrous effects on employee productivity, happiness, and loyalty. 

To address these issues, we need to identify why companies are so hesitant and demonstrate how adopting a hybrid work strategy can help to deliver positive outcomes. 

Impacts of limbo

Shybrid employers who fail to plan an effective strategy for their team create confusion and insecurities across the company.

A lack of planning promotes the idea that leadership doesn’t care about what works best for their team, leading to employees looking elsewhere. The Great Resignation has proven that employees aren’t afraid to walk away searching for something better. 51% of employees surveyed shared they would quit their job if their hybrid work option was removed. 

This is why employers who listen, adapt, and change will succeed and build the foundation for a new hybrid workplace future. Ignoring the move towards a more hybrid workforce will not help to evade the challenges or consequences of being stubborn to change. 

These resistant employers also fail to realize the need for flexibility at work. Many employees have been challenged with combining once-siloed tasks and responsibilities of their personal lives into one shared experience. Childcare has changed. Education has changed. Each of these changes has forced employees to readjust their schedules and when they get their work done. The opportunity to spend less time commuting and work on a schedule that is most beneficial to all parties is one of the key differentiators of hybrid work. Employers who fail to offer this flexibility will risk their employees’ happiness and loyalty to stay. 

Hesitant to change

While the move towards hybrid work is apparent for some companies, there are many that are hesitant to change. But why?

Productivity comes into question, with many employers worried that working from home will give their teams the ability to slack off. Conversely, PwC found that 57% of companies have seen an increase in productivity since moving towards workplace flexibility, with some organizations almost three times more likely to see high employee performance.

Some employers worry their remote employees’ engagement and loyalty will wane if those employees continue to work away from the office. But an organization’s culture will not go away if people work remotely. Companies are thriving while embracing remote and hybrid work. BetterCloud is preserving its culture by giving every employee a voice and representation through a highly diverse management team. Ceros embraces the well-being of their workers with half-day Fridays. Dropbox generously provides 32 hours of volunteer time per year. Culture is not just what goes on inside the office’s four walls — it’s how your team thinks and feels about their value in your company. Companies should consider if the culture they once had and are trying to preserve fits into the future of work. ​​Perhaps erasing former hierarchies of walls and cubicles and incorporating workplace strategies is the environment needed to enhance the employee experience.

Combatting the hesitation

Companies don’t need to have all the answers. But they do need to communicate. Given the trends accelerated by the pandemic — the success of remote work on a large scale, the migration of workers to less-expensive locales, the redesigning of office space to accommodate social distancing — workplace leaders need to quickly communicate what working in the office is meant to accomplish. For example, Google has kept communication open through company-wide memos, sharing their hybrid word strategy allows for the balance of teams intentionally coming together to collaborate and connect in the office, and spending the other days working from wherever best suits their needs.

Why should your employees want to work in the office? “People don’t want to leave their homes and come to the office just to come to the office.” says Linda Foggie, EVP & Americas Head of Corporate Occupier at Turner & Townsend. If it’s to promote collaboration, then share that. If it’s to introduce new technologies, then share that.

That clarity will enable employers to bridge the gap between them and their employees. They can then reimagine how and where their work gets done, how much office space they need, and how to support employees effectively in any work environment. These workplaces empower employees to prioritize their personal lives by offering flexibility, thus increasing employee well-being, engagement, and retention. Understanding how to embrace your hesitancy and move forward with what will benefit the entire team can help shake that shybrid mentality.

The future of retention is driven by choice and communication

The impacts of being shybrid may be felt for years to come. With one of the biggest risks for employers being talent retention, it’s imperative to focus on what will make and keep your employees happy. 

With 77% of executives agreeing that their biggest growth driver for 2022 is hiring and retaining talent, workplace leaders lacking a desire to implement change will face the cost of losing their employees to more forward-thinking and flexible companies. Employees are demanding choice and are capitalizing on the opportunities available to get the options they want. Providing resources for the flexibility of remote work while effectively using office space and focusing on outcomes rather than output is key to retaining employees and attracting top talent. The way we’ve always done it is no longer a fallback, as employees have found their voice and demand change and improvement. 

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Rethinking office space extends beyond desk configurations and coffee areas. It requires a focus on the inclusivity of space. Pre-pandemic culture and physical spaces were riddled with barriers for multiple groups.

The disconnect of equality in the workplace is now clear, and minorities, disabled workers, women, and working parents are the hardest hit. 

We spoke with workplace leaders experiencing these challenges to discover how they are using the hybrid work movement to create more inclusive spaces for their teams.

What made the old way exclusionary?

Research from WHF suggests the drain of code-switching is responsible for the desire for minorities to work from home. For example, Black workers feel the need to change how they dress, style their hair, and even speak, while at work.

While 21% of white professionals have a desire to return to the office full-time, only 3% of black professionals can say the same. Women are 30% more likely than men to want a full-time remote position, largely due to childcare issues. 

Disabled individuals don’t feel comfortable acting like themselves at work. This perspective is mirrored by the majority of employees and executives who want to be fully transparent about their disabilities.

Most employers believe they promote inclusivity — yet only 33% of employees agree. 

BIPOC

Studies have shown that when it comes to increasing diversity in the workforce, companies are making little progress. The main contributor to businesses not doing enough to diversify the workforce is a lack of incentive to make changes at a micro-level and little understanding of how and where to find minority talent. 

One benefit of remote work is the decrease of restrictions and barriers. “Remote work has certainly improved participation,” says Healthcare and Leadership Consultant Jamiu O. Busari. “By increasing access for the less privileged and reducing barriers, the threshold for inclusion has been lowered.”

Often times, these barriers are formed both intentionally and unintentionally. One person we spoke with, who wished to remain anonymous, shared, “One of the biggest barriers from companies is making every employee feel valued and building a culture where a non-white person or neurodivergent person is not scared or worried to speak their mind. During meetings, our manager assumed that myself and a colleague were shy because we were quiet, but in our Asian culture, it’s frowned upon to speak out of turn.” 

One of the positive outcomes of the acceleration toward remote and hybrid work is the realization that companies can hire employees without geographic barriers. This flexibility has opened up great possibilities for hiring more diverse talent.

People with disabilities

In 2018, Accenture estimated that the GDP could get a boost of up to $25 billion if just 1% more people with disabilities joined the US labor force. Unfortunately, businesses still fall short.

While the chance for remote work would seem like an opportunity for the disabled, economic crises are notoriously competitive, leading to recruiters giving priority to non-disabled individuals. As little as 11% of employers actively recruit disabled individuals, while a mere 1 in 8 recruiters makes hiring workers with disabilities a priority. 

With 83% of disabled remote workers only able to work because they do so remotely, the permanent shift towards a remote or hybrid workforce is a huge opportunity for greater inclusivity.

As tech stacks continue to grow within the hybrid workforce, innovations like brain-computer interfaces rapidly increased in popularity, giving options for supporting disabilities in the workplace that have never been feasible before. 

Companies like Capita have embraced the switch to remote working as an opportunity to create greater inclusivity by taking the time to develop neurodiversity employment initiatives and redesign their spaces. 

Working parents

Prior to the global events of 2020, mothers in the workplace appeared to be making progress in gaining an equal footing, yet one in three were still considering shifting their careers down a gear or leaving the workforce completely. The pandemic has put even greater strain on this demographic — struggling to juggle the sudden onslaught of increased household responsibilities, childcare issues, homeschooling, and concerns over rising unemployment rates. 

The pressure is even greater for those of color, with Latina mothers 1.6 times more likely to bear the brunt of additional housework and childcare needs, while such duties are twice as likely to fall to Black mothers.

As a result, 62% of working parents are emerging from the pandemic firm in their conviction that employers can either allow them to work remotely or lose them.

Flexible workplaces make childcare easier — and give parents more time with their families. For some of these parents, hybrid work is not just compelling — it’s a requirement. Employers who don’t embrace flexible work will fall behind.

An opportunity for change

The pandemic has forced a change in perspective for many businesses. Companies are significantly missing out on or losing top talent by failing to create inclusive workplaces. As a result, managers are reassessing their spaces, realizing how exclusive their working environments previously were for individuals with far more potential than they had room to express.

The question for companies and workplace leaders becomes how much talent have we lost out on due to overlooking existing unsupportive workplaces? The rise of remote-first working is a chance for us to reassess the culture of our workplaces and seek opportunities to broaden our inclusivity.  

Thinking of the office as nothing more than a building is as outdated as impractical. 

The workplace upheaval brought on by the pandemic has forever changed where, when, and perhaps most impactfully, how people work. With 1 in 3 companies offering flexible remote working options to their team, employees are working in novel ways. Yet, despite the proliferation of at-home work that hybrid schedules entail, there have also been drastic effects on how offices function, including giving more employees a voice in what they want in the workplace.

Because people no longer use their workspace as a daily destination, the office has become a place to commune and collaborate, innovate and interact. These new and fluctuating demands in what employees need make shifting schedules, varying workstations, and spontaneity necessary components of an office.

Workplace managers must devise creative solutions and integrations that keep their workplace agile, inviting, and productive. To optimize workplaces, real-time knowledge of how people use your space is essential. 

Understanding employees’ needs makes them want to stay

Gartner reports that over half of employees feel that part of their decision to stay with a company is based on their ability to work flexibly. 

In many ways, this has positive ramifications. For one, Forbes data shows that a hybrid work model increases productivity. And yet, it also means employee retention will be based on new demands, one of which is the flexibility and functionality of the workplace, as shown in our 2022 Employee Insights on Hybrid Work Report. 

Experts predict that we will see a rise in employers catering to what employees need in order to engage their team and attract top performers for future roles. As such, offices, more than ever, need to have the ability to meet the complex needs of a hybrid workforce. 

But what does that really mean?

It starts with understanding what teams need. Companies are reconfiguring spaces to meet the needs of their hybrid workforce and focusing on the collaboration that will inspire them to want to come into the office. 

And it makes sense — while people can get individual assignments done at home, what they can’t do is get the interactive, participatory experience that being in the office allows. 

Subsequently, workplace leaders need to account for the behavioral changes found in the office of 2022. Old designs with individual desks and small conference rooms won’t work the way employees need them. 

Seeing what employees need is no longer a matter of just looking around. Flexible work changed people’s relationship with physical space. By using office measurement technologies, workplace leaders can accurately define how needs are being met and use that data to make impactful decisions. 

For example, by knowing that specific desk spaces for solitary work are often empty while larger conference rooms are frequently booked, floor plan redesign can be made to accommodate bigger socially distanced groups. Similarly, there may be collaborative spaces that are going unused because there are fewer people in the office, and they might be better redesigned to reflect current needs. 

Without clear-cut metrics on how employees operate within the office, significant real estate and floor plan decisions are left to best guesses. Better and more practical spaces can be created when employee behaviors are seen and measured. 

Creating a space your team wants to be in

Not only do offices need to be functionally updated, but they also need to give employees a reason to want to come in. Because collaboration is such an important feature of the new office, managers need to consider how to create a space people want to be in. Of course, this is directly linked to ease of use and functionality, but it is also about excitement and company culture. 

Amenities that were once known only to top tech companies are now considered the expected norm across the board. While that doesn’t mean building tennis courts or napping pods, it does mean that attracting and keeping talent is still, despite hybrid schedules, based around offices that people want to work from. People need to be in the office to make the most of collaborative potential, so creating quality spaces is actually a part of employee needs. 

Ultimately, this comes down to better spaces. The skeletal office is no longer viable in any way. Focus must shift toward employee satisfaction and a culture with flexibility being top of mind. Better spaces means better output, and to do this successfully, robust office data is essential. 

If data shows that a workstation with outdated tools is left empty while another is overbooked, a few updates will go a long way. It may seem straightforward, but having data to make these kinds of changes shows a dedication to employee comfort, as it also cultivates creativity, ingenuity, and motivation. Spontaneous innovation occurs when people are brought together with the tools they need, which requires an optimized workplace. 

Implementing software to promote a better and safer experience

As offices are reimagined to facilitate the evolving needs of hybrid employees, workplace management solutions still must enforce social distancing, lowered occupancy levels, enhanced cleaning, and staggered schedules to create the safest possible environment. 

To do this efficiently and effectively, real-time workplace metrics are needed. Companies can adopt integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) to help create viable schedules that promote social distancing on a software level. Knowing which office neighborhoods team members use allows for planning that supports collaborative interaction while maintaining appropriate occupancy levels. Additionally, conference room and desk booking software can provide the right spaces for the right job while preventing overcrowding. 

When the data acquisition works in real-time, daily adjustments can be made to ensure optimal safety regulations. The reality of floor plan designs is that certain areas are likely to experience high usage while others may be underutilized. Understanding which is which can help workplace managers not only create more effective spaces but ones that prevent bottlenecks and avoid overcrowding. 

However it is accomplished, measuring how people are using their space is a fundamental tool to ensure a better overall employee experience with an emphasis on making teams feel comfortable in their workplaces. 

Measure your future 

Managing a workplace has become complicated in entirely new ways. These changes bring about a constant shift in what is necessary for workplace management solutions. While this creates exciting potential, it can also feel challenging to regulate in terms of decision-making and space management.  

Offices are chameleons, constantly adapting to changes in their environment. They are fluid and reactive spaces requiring an agile mindset to streamline evolving hybrid work demands. In 2022, workplace management needs to not just accept, but excel in considering how their office is seen, and space utilization is undertaken. 

After two years of remote work, many employers want to see workers back at the office. Employees, however, are less enthusiastic about being forced back into the world of daily commutes and communal bathrooms. 

Hybrid work strikes a balance between the wants of both employers and employees. But offering hybrid work doesn’t mean employees will want to return to the office. Companies need to find ways to inspire their people to leave the comfort of their homes, even if it is just for 1-2 days a week.

But how? It might be worth taking a page out of someone else’s playbook.

Google

Like many, Google delayed its return to office in the face of the Omicron variant. Yet since 2020, the company has been public about creating greater flexibility in its working practices. While Google still expects employees to come into the office at least three times per week, the remaining time can be managed remotely. 

Promoting well-being

Late last year, Google announced they were investing $2.1bn on a new office complex in Manhattan that is “biophilic” in design. Biophilic design has been found to support cognitive function, physical health, and psychological well-being.

Supporting commuting efforts

Google has also ramped up its commuter perks. It’s offering its employees a free electric scooter subscription in an effort to bring remote workers back to their workspaces.

Google also plans to experiment with various office designs so they can adapt to changes in work styles.

Microsoft

Microsoft has taken a similarly community-driven approach while celebrating the return to office. Their offices in Redmond reopened in February to a musical treat accompanied by beer, wine, and mocktail tasting. To usher in a new era of hybrid work, the company arranged a whole series of garden games, from life-size chess to cornhole to promote their new office plans. 

Focusing on stages rather than timelines

Last year Kurt DelBene, Microsoft’s Executive Vice President, explained the philosophy behind the new hybrid work strategies they have developed. He revealed a shift in focus from specific timelines to a ‘Hybrid Workplace Dial’ that uses six clearly defined stages as anchors, as an alternative to focusing on specific timelines. This has allowed the Microsoft team to rapidly adjust work sites depending on health needs.

Data-driven inclusivity

Earlier this year fellow Exec Chris Capossela followed up on the current state of Microsoft’s return to work strategy and revealed they have taken the opportunity afforded by such a prolonged absence to ensure they are making data-driven decisions that will foster inclusivity, collaboration, and community.

Apple

Apple doesn’t appear to have created any fanfare around the return to their California offices. Instead of celebrating with a monumental event, they have been easing employees in gently.  

Slow and steady

CEO Tim Cook outlined Apple’s RTO plans to employees via email earlier this year with the expectation they would return one day per week initially, and gradually work up to a three-day return.

In-person collaboration is essential

Speaking of the importance of returning to the office, Cook emphasized Apple’s belief that in-person collaboration is vital. Despite the fact everyone has performed splendidly under the forced remote circumstances of the pandemic, it’s clear Apple has no intention of losing the value of collective creativity and innovation, with Cook writing, “For many of you, I know that returning to the office represents a long-awaited milestone and a positive sign that we can engage more fully with the colleagues who play such an important role in our lives.”

Worker backlash

Not everyone at Apple is happy with their policies, however, as an open letter from workers recently showed. The letter accuses Apple of having a remote policy that is ‘motivated by fear’ rather than any need to collaborate in person. According to the letter, Apple’s Hybrid Working Pilot “does not recognize flexible work and is only driven by fear. Fear of the future of work, fear of worker autonomy, fear of losing control.“

Meta (aka Facebook)

Meta has fully embraced the shift to remote working and doesn’t seem keen to go back now that people are back in their offices.

A ‘work from wherever’ attitude

While Meta is welcoming the return to office of all those who wish to be back in, and those whose jobs necessitate it, they’re clearly embracing a more remote outlook. Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been leading by example, spending much more time away from the office. This has been mirrored by Chief Marketing Office Alex Schultz, Head of Product Naiomi Gleit, and Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram.

Shifting benefits to reflect working from home

Meta announced it will start to cut back or eliminate free services previously offered, like dry cleaning and laundry. This is in response to the ability to work remotely, allowing employees to move to areas less expensive than the San Francisco Bay Area and thus reduce their cost of living.

Meta isn’t alone in this regard, as Google has also said if they can’t successfully encourage workers back into the office, they may roll out pay cuts as compensation has always been set based on a person’s living costs when hired. 

Netflix

Netflix is not rolling out any form of remote or hybrid reshake. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings publicly expressed his reservations about remote work.

Working together

During a WSJ interview, he said: “Not being able to get together in person, particularly internationally, is a pure negative.” 

Vaccinations are mandatory

Netflix has been proactive in its support of vaccination efforts. They were the first major studio to embrace the new vaccines and issue a blanket statement making it mandatory or all cast members working on U.S. productions to get vaccinated against COVID. The policy extended to those coming in close contact with cast members, who are also expected to get vaccinated. 

Amazon

Amazon did a complete 180 on its return to office mandates during the delays suffered from the Delta and Omicron variants. Initially adamant that all employees would return to the office full time, they later rolled out a hybrid plan that enables employees to work remotely two days a week. 

While management was set to decide which days could be worked remotely, Amazon has since changed its mind again and decided that working from the office isn’t a requirement, and a hybrid model is possible going forward. 

Ending paid COVID sick leave

That being said, Amazon is shifting its stance on COVID-related absences, having put an end to paid sick leave for anyone suffering from COVID. The company announced they’ve returned to their pre-pandemic policies where sick leave is concerned, and will no longer make allowances for staff being absent due to contracting the illness or waiting for test results.

The shift toward a more remote and flexible attitude is prominent among many of the big brand’s playbooks. It would seem, however, that efforts to create hybrid and remote working policies need to be authentic. If the response of some employees at these global companies is anything to go by, workers are not shy about calling out their own companies on efforts that seem ingenuine.

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