Navigating ‘Return To Office’ Real Estate, Facilities, and Employee Well-being
As businesses adapt to the post-pandemic world, the workplace has been transformed. Companies are navigating unprecedented shifts in how and where people work, with real estate, facilities management, and employee well-being taking centre stage. In this article, we take insights from a recent Executive Lunch where we spoke to global workplace leaders, and explored how these changes are impacting organisations, and why flexibility, empathy, and strategic foresight are critical to success.
Flexibility and Behavioural Shifts: A New Era of Office Dynamics
The return to the office isn’t simply about getting people back to their desks. It's about acknowledging the behavioural changes that have emerged from the pandemic. Employees expect flexibility in office spaces, working hours, and company policies. As a result, organisations are rethinking traditional office layouts to create environments that foster collaboration and accommodate a diverse workforce.
Key workplace considerations include:
- Flexible office layouts: Companies are creating spaces designed for collaboration, rather than desk and traditional working spaces.
- Generational needs: Different generations have varying expectations and requirements of the workplace, and businesses are balancing these differences to improve engagement both in the office and away from it.
- Neurodiversity: Office designs are increasingly being tailored to meet the needs of neurodivergent employees, ensuring inclusivity.
A Programme, Project, and Change Manager from a global professional services firm summarised the shift:
"The one key thing to recognise when looking at returning to the office is behaviour change. And we must equip leaders to manage this with empathy and a human approach."
Empathy in Leadership: Managing Hybrid Teams
Leading with empathy has never been more important. As hybrid work becomes the norm, leaders are adopting human-centred approaches, focusing on trust and collaboration. This shift is not just about managing workflows but fostering deeper workplace connections.
By putting empathy at the heart of leadership, companies can ensure that both in-office and remote teams feel valued and connected, bridging the gap between physical and virtual workspaces.
Data-Driven Space Management: Optimising Real Estate
While occupancy levels may have returned to pre-Covid norms, optimising office real estate remains a challenge. The way we use these spaces has fundamentally changed. Companies are increasingly leveraging technology and data to monitor space usage and track attendance. This data-driven approach helps organisations redesign their offices to better support hybrid work models, while also addressing critical issues like data security.
A Global Projects Director at a leading law firm highlights the importance of this approach:
"Including the entire security team to review physical and data security is new territory, and now essential in terms of office planning."
Sustainability and Future-Proofing the Workplace
Sustainability is now a central pillar of workplace strategy. As companies redesign their office spaces, there is a strong focus on reducing carbon footprints and preparing for future trends like artificial intelligence and advanced employee well-being initiatives.
The long-term success of any workplace strategy will depend on how adaptable it is to changing employee needs, emerging technologies, and environmental concerns.
Luis DeSouza, CEO of NFS Technology warns:
"If you develop a workplace strategy around business metrics without taking into account how people’s lives have changed, you will be setting yourselves up to fail."
Insights from Industry Leaders
At our recent Executive Lunch, global transformation and operational leads came together to discuss the evolving workplace landscape. One of the key insights shared was the realisation that while the perception may be that offices aren’t as full as they were pre-pandemic, occupancy statistics tell a different story.
"The perception is that at some point we will get back to pre-pandemic attendance in the office. It feels like there is a way to go, but in reality, we are already there when we look at occupancy stats. What has changed is that we are all working in an entirely different way."
Andrew Try, CEO of ComXo
As companies continue to navigate a ‘return to the office’ with the learnings from the post-pandemic shifts, they must embrace flexibility, lead with empathy, and leverage data to make informed decisions about their office environments. By focusing on sustainability and employee well-being, businesses can create workplaces that not only meet the needs of today but are also ready for the future.
The workplace is no longer just a place to work; it is an ecosystem that reflects the evolving needs of employees, technology, and the world around us. Companies that succeed in this new landscape will be those that prioritise adaptability, inclusivity, make data-informed decisions, and above all have a human-centric approach.
About ComXo
ComXo is a leading provider of outsourced communication and business services, helping companies navigate the complexities of the modern workplace with innovative solutions and industry-leading expertise.
If you’re interested to hear how we support some of the largest global organisations with their workplace transformations, get in touch.
