May 2024
The Research
& Insights Unit
Hybrid working is here to stay: 86% of the employees Leesman has surveyed over the past two years tell us they work in more than one location.
But hybrid working is a spectrum. For some, hybrid means going to the office once a week or less. For others, it means predominantly working in the office but occasionally doing a few things remotely. And for the rest, itʼs somewhere in between. It seems likely that while the majority have also now developed a fairly consistent pattern, many have not. It is this diversity which makes meeting different employee needs such a challenge within hybrid working.
However, no matter where hybrid workers choose to work, there is a common thread: the office remains an integral part of their work equation.
Rightly, efforts are being made to improve the office experience, in the hope that a more appealing office will see workers choose to return more often. Indeed, our data shows that those who spend most of their time in the office (4-5 days per week) have the best workplace experience on average. It is certainly noteworthy that hybrid workers who come into the office 2-3 days per week have on average the poorest workplace experience, suggesting that workplaces are not supporting the needs of hybrid workers in the same way they do for employees based in the office full-time.
However, instead of focusing on how to get people back, is it perhaps time to accept that there are different degrees of hybrid? And that the focus should instead be on ensuring everyone has an outstanding workplace experience, regardless of how often they are in the office? Shouldnʼt the overall hybrid experience for both user groups be more important than the number of days spent in the office?
Building a great workplace experience for everyone is how you make hybrid work.
The good news is that workplaces are absolutely getting better. The average workplace experience, as measured through the Leesman Index (Lmi) score, has increased from 64.3 pre-pandemic to 67.9 post-pandemic.
Even though workplace experience has improved on average, not all workplaces are outstanding. Of those we have measured post-pandemic, 42% have an Lmi of 70.0 or above. We call these offices Catalyst workplaces.
But the majority (58%) are still failing to offer employees a great experience. A total of 16% have a Lmi below 60.0. We categorise these as Obstructer workplaces, offices that actively hinder workers from being at their best by delivering poor employee experience. (It will also undoubtedly have a negative impact on organisational performance.)
The remaining 42% provide an average experience. With an Lmi above 60.0 but below 70.0, so-called Enabler workplaces are simply OK. These offices are missing out on opportunities to provide excellent employee experience, support organisational culture and boost performance – the hallmarks of outstanding workplaces. Some of these spaces have work planned; they are on an upward trajectory. But regrettably, some have seen high scores slide as they fail to stay in tune with both organisation and employee needs.
Furthermore, our data suggests that employees still have a better experience when working from home: the average Home Leesman Index (H-Lmi) score is 77.8. So, as organisations have improved their offices, employees have also improved their remote set-up.
In 2023, 58% of employees surveyed had a dedicated workroom or office at home, up 16 percentage points from 2020. In 2020, 28% of employees worked from a non-work-specific setting while away from the office, but in 2023 only 11% did.
This then is what Power of Place explores: with hybrid working here to stay, just how big a difference does having an outstanding workplace make in a hybrid world? And, crucially, how do you achieve it?
