Don’t go back to “the office”
Close your eyes. Picture an “office”. What do you see? What does the furniture look like? How does it smell? What does the coffee taste like? Most importantly - how does it make you feel?
If you asked me this question before I started working at a coworking space, I would have pictured a scene straight out of the movie Office Space. (For those who haven’t seen it - picture dozens of side-by-side gray cubicles, plug-in phones, brown file cabinets, and a vibe of overall disdain).
This may not be what your idea of or actual traditional office space looks like at all - I get it. But regardless of your love for bland color palettes and awkward water cooler chit chat, the numbers don’t lie. Before the pandemic, in 2019, roughly 6% of Americans were working full time remotely (1). As of May 2020, that number rate was nearly 43% (2). And now, nearly 2 years later - even as mask mandates lift and vaccines are widely available - nearly ⅔ of remote workers aren’t opting to go back to the office full time (3). Even more noteworthy is the data showing that 58% would look for another job if asked to go back to the office (3).
So let’s get to the point- why are employees choosing remote work, what are they missing about the traditional office, and how can we create a solution to maximize retention and results?
The “Why” Behind Choosing Remote
No commute, monetary savings, and a flexible schedule are consistently ranked as the top 3 reasons why people say they prefer remote work (2,3,4). Also, as common sense would indicate, many people feel safer in their homes amidst the ongoing COVID pandemic.
Another less talked about reason that certainly deserves a deeper dive in a future blog post is the desire to escape office politics and microaggressions, especially toward women and people of color (if you’re itching to hear more on this now, definitely check out Future Forum’s study on this).
What’s Lacking?
Disjointed collaboration, technical issues/wifi problems, and the lack of a defined workspace win out as the top barriers to remote working. According to a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology (6), “high-intensity telecommuting (more than 2.5 days a week) accentuated telecommuting's beneficial effects on work-family conflict but harmed relationships with coworkers.”
Oddly enough, polls have shown burnout and overworking are also associated with remote work, as the lines are blurred in work/life balance (7). That commute you hated may actually have a silver lining as a psychological barrier in your day to break up what you consider “work” and “home” (8). As many of you who are reading this have done at least a little remote work - let me ask you this: if your boss or a client calls in “off hours”, are you more or less likely to answer if you have a remote job versus an office job?
Another Consideration
I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up what the media likes to call The Great Resignation of 2021/2022 (italicized for extra effect). What may have started as manual labor and warehouse jobs has escalated into other sectors. In February 2022, Leisure and Hospitality, followed by Professional and Business Services, had the largest one month net job change (9).
Selfishly/personally, I absolutely love this movement and believe it is way past due for laborers to get their fair share of earnings (note - we are nowhere near fair, but this is a small step in the right direction). In regard to this specific blog, however, it sets the tone for this overarching necessity: employers must find the best solution possible to keep their employees happy.
The Solution
The moment we’ve been waiting for - the answer is – coworking! (Convenient, right?!! :)).
I’m partly joking. It doesn’t necessarily have to be coworking or shared office space. But what polls and surveys are pointing to is that people don’t want to give up working remotely completely. They love flexibility. But they also love good, free coffee, and seeing a few of their coworker friends. They also probably want to get out of the house and have a reason to take a shower every so often.
This is a great opportunity for leaders to reimagine and redefine their workspaces as high-impact experiences. A workplace value proposition gives people a compelling reason to return to the office.
Let’s Break it Down
What amenities can you offer new employees? Long gone are the days of poorly decorated, bland cubicles and bad fluorescent light. Now is the time for live plants, sunshine on your face during the day, and large, open spaces (...breadcrumbs..more on why these are important in a future post!). More importantly - who is responsible for implementing, paying for, and managing these in a traditional office setting? A coworking space absorbs this cost and makes it incredibly turn-key for you, plus you forego the long term commitment (and risk/cost associated with it). You can have a wellness studio, conference rooms, and networking events at your fingertips (shameless plug for Primary) and never have to plan or execute a thing. It’s magical.
Don’t want to jump with both feet in? Many operators will rent out private offices, conference rooms, and event spaces on a one-off basis so you can at least meet in person every so often, or finally have that vaccine-card-needed/socially distanced holiday party.
According to the State of the Global Workplace report (10), Gen Z and millennials now make up nearly half of the full-time workforce in the U.S. Younger generations are more likely to rank wellbeing as the most important thing they are looking for in an employer. Every organization that needs young leaders -- which includes every organization -- should consider how to make wellbeing an essential part of their employee experience.
The bottom line: The traditional office isn’t for everyone. Remote work is here to stay, but employees want options, flexibility, and ultimately wellbeing. The workspace can be a huge value-add for attracting and retaining high-level talent in a competitive labor market.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/business/remote-work-office-life.html
https://news.gallup.com/poll/355907/remote-work-persisting-trending-permanent.aspx
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-survey-finds-employees-want-remote-work-post-pandemic/
https://futureforum.com/2021/03/11/dismantling-the-office-moving-from-retrofit-to-redesign/
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/336941/wellbeing-engagement-paradox-2020.aspx
https://hbr.org/2020/08/how-to-actually-save-time-when-youre-working-remotely
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx