{"id":31380,"date":"2021-01-19T13:21:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-19T18:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/?p=31380"},"modified":"2021-12-15T00:18:56","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T05:18:56","slug":"should-companies-ditch-the-office-after-the-pandemic-is-over","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centricconsulting.com\/blog\/should-companies-ditch-the-office-after-the-pandemic-is-over\/","title":{"rendered":"Should Companies Ditch the Office After the Pandemic Is Over?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this segment of “Office Optional with Larry English<\/a>,” he talks about finding the best balance between a fully remote and fully in-person workforce by using a hybrid model.<\/h2>\n
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COVID-19<\/a> has helped many companies see the value of operating virtually. Businesses have continued to operate with empty offices while maintaining the same or improved productivity<\/a>. At the same time, employees found a new mode of working that they love: A mere four percent of workers<\/a> wish to return to the office five days a week.<\/p>\n

These insights bring up some interesting problems for companies to solve once the pandemic passes: Should they keep their office space? If so, how much? If shrinking or changing their real estate footprint is the right move, how can companies strategically go about it?<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve led a mostly remote consulting firm for two decades and have been on the frontlines of helping companies permanently adopt remote work. From working with clients in 2020, most are in the process of reevaluating their corporate real estate portfolios<\/a> and designing what their future workplace will look like and how it will operate.<\/strong> Many of them are considering hybrid options. This is echoed by data from a recent study by CBRE, a global commercial real estate services company, which found that 73 percent of companies<\/a> plan to support a hybrid model after the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Tapping Into America’s Best-Kept Future Of Work Secret<\/h2>\n

The hybrid set-up combines the best of in-person and remote work. It offers a balanced style of work for employees, which they highly value.<\/strong> They are able to choose from a network of locations to get their work done. This can include a main corporate office, their home, flex space or even a caf\u00e9 \u2013 what a report from Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate firm, calls a \u201cTotal Workforce Ecosystem<\/a>.\u201d By keeping the office as part of this ecosystem, the whole organization can realize the critical benefits of face-to-face time, such as improving collaboration, reinforcing culture and helping employees build stronger relationships.<\/p>\n

Soon, most companies will adopt this hybrid approach as more employees demonstrate higher productivity levels while demanding the flexibility such a model brings.<\/p>\n

What Role Will the Physical Office Play?<\/h2>\n

In a hybrid model, the physical office still plays a critical role.<\/strong> \u201cThe office isn’t going away,\u201d says Michelle Hay, chief human resources officer at Cushman & Wakefield, a global real estate firm. \u201cThere is purpose for ‘place.’ Companies will become more intentional about using the space. They will use it for the 3 C\u2019s: connection, collaboration and career development.\u201d<\/p>\n

This means that instead of ditching their office space, most companies pursuing a hybrid model will be adjusting their real estate portfolio and redesigning their physical footprint to achieve these goals:<\/p>\n