With most workers back in the office globally, reconciling
individual and collective needs will be a top priority for creating
a positive hybrid employee experience
CHICAGO, Nov. 15,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As more companies announce new
office attendance mandates, and most workers are back in the office
globally, leaders now must now consider how to meet new
expectations around work and where it's done.
JLL's report, Is hybrid really working? Creating a dynamic
workplace for a productive workforce, explores employers' and
employees' new expectations in today's hybrid environment,
uncovering best practices to attract employees to the office and
maintain the flexibility offered by remote work. The latest report
from JLL draws on the global feedback of over 200 Corporate Real
Estate decision makers from July – August
2023 as well as a year-long survey of more than 20,000
office workers.
A new normal for office attendance
With the increased emphasis among employers on productivity and
operational efficiency, companies continue to adjust their hybrid
policies in favor of greater office attendance. Today, employees
globally are spending just over three days in the office on
average, with peak attendance on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays.
However, despite widespread adoption of hybrid models, variances
in office attendance are materializing across regions and
countries, ranging from two days in the U.S. and U.K. to over four
days on average in China,
India and South Korea. These differences are largely
driven by a combination of cultural nuances, living arrangements
and other structural factors.
Overall, the majority of international organizations (87%) are
encouraging their employees to work from the office at least some
of the time. In fact, only 20% of employees work fully remote or up
to two days in the office today, down from 39% a year
ago. As employers continue expecting in-office work and
companies increasingly pivot away from fully remote hiring, office
attendance is expected to incrementally rise through
year-end.
Designing the future hybrid workplace must balance
collaborative and focused work
After three experimental years of hybrid work, employers associate
the office with new benefits. Beyond improving collaboration,
social connection and cultural bonds, they see it as a significant
contributor to employee productivity — now one of the top three
reasons among employers for enticing workers back. Enhanced office
technology and improved amenities also continue to play a critical
part in attracting employees to work from the office, along with
more employers (33%) introducing compulsory attendance.
While most employees are back in the office several days a week,
several opportunities are emerging to enhance employee engagement
and productivity in a hybrid context. Workers continue to find
value in the physical office as a hub for socialization, innovation
and professional growth, but report that commuting, noise and lack
of privacy are the top barriers to working from the
office.
"The office has always been, and will continue to be, central to
work experience and culture," said Neil
Murray, CEO, Work Dynamics for JLL. "As more workers return
to the office several days a week, we're continuing to learn about
the shifting preferences for ways of working and how we can better
deploy technology and flexible arrangements to meet these
expectations. Ultimately, our research finds that the majority
of global workers continue to crave a destination for human
connection, so creating dynamic spaces that satisfy a mix of
collaborative and focused work needs will ultimately be the most
effective strategy to enticing employees to the office on a regular
basis."
As leaders look to strike the balance between managing costs in
a challenging economic environment without comprising employee
experience, addressing these deterrents will be critical for
successful long-term hybrid strategies. With employees spending
half of their time on individual tasks while in the office (51%),
the forward-looking companies will be those who are adapting their
offices to be not just social hubs, but places that can support the
wide range of needs of an office day and that can accommodate the
expectations of a diverse workforce. This means adapting workspaces
not only to address collective and individual needs, but also to
bring together technology and design to improve the balance of
collaboration with spaces dedicated to privacy and focused
work.
About JLL
For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial
real estate and investment management company, has helped clients
buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial,
industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune
500® company with annual revenue of $20.9 billion and operations in over 80 countries
around the world, our more than 105,000 employees bring the power
of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our
purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we
help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER
WAYSM. JLL is the brand name, and a registered
trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further
information, visit jll.com.
Contact: Allison Heraty
Phone: +1 312 228 3128
Email: allison.heraty@jll.com
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SOURCE JLL