Yearning for a return to the office grows

People miss the office, the human interaction it promotes and the clear boundaries that office life creates between personal and professional life.

In many organisations, it has been younger people who have lobbied hardest for a return to the office, unable to work satisfactorily at home and missing the opportunities and social interaction that office life presents.

As city centres begin to work out a new future, technology will be at the heart of the debate, with the more favourable buildings allowing people to work seamlessly and connect with colleagues around the world at the same time as giving a feeling of safety and security.

With ‘the digital workplace’ now considered the new working environment, employers need to both embed the physical implementation of smart technology in their buildings and to ensure the virtual working experience transforms the employee experience by fostering efficiency, innovation and the social elements that many people crave in their workplace.

Our 2020 report, Real Estate Reset, provided an early insight into the changing attitudes of office occupiers during the pandemic. Office occupiers believe that a mix of home and office working is now the best option for employees’ creativity and innovation (46%), productivity (45%) and motivation and enthusiasm (47%).

It is interesting to note that in Germany, United Arab Emirates, the UK and Singapore our polling showed that an office which enhances wellbeing is considered to improve efficiency and productivity.

We should not underestimate the importance of the best new office buildings in acting as magnets for talent, which was also recognised by many of those we polled.