With one eye on life after Lockdown, Bisnow recently carried out a survey to establish what employees want their future offices to look like. Here is a summary:
People
The overwhelming answer, when asked what they missed most about the office: people.
Social interactions and collaboration were the most desirable aspects of working in an office. This is a big signpost in indicating what the future office is for.
Flexibility
71% of respondents want their company to offer flexible office provision, but interestingly 44% said that working from home only once a week would be their preference. This might make some CFOs looking to cut property costs, think twice.
Less rigidity and more space to collaborate proved popular, with fixed rows of desks out of fashion. This will raise challenges in a post-Covid environment, where hot desking may not be an option, at least in the short term.
Space
Wanting the best of both worlds, respondents also desired more focused space and small meeting rooms. A balance between collaboration areas and private space being a key consideration, further undermining the 'less space' narrative.
Coffee
It's a universal truth that if the coffee isn't right, nothing else matters. This is still the case. But workers also want access to good food, gyms and shower facilities. With active commuting set to increase following Lockdown, commuter facilities will be a top priority for many.
Technology
Having the right technology was seen as key to maintaining productivity when working from home or in an agile environment. There was a desire for technology to be more intuitive, with passwords and complicated ways of logging in proving unpopular. Better video conferencing was also a must and printers still proving desirable.
Meetings
Shorter.
when asked what they missed most about their office, there was an overwhelming response, which points to the function of the office in the modern world of work: people