The landscape has changed dramatically,
but the dust hasn’t fully settled yet.
Movement is still ongoing and there can be no argument that the work landscape is now different. You have to understand the terrain – your new workplace experience baseline – in order to chart your way forward.
Knowing why your employees choose their work locations is vital and our data is starting to show that a purpose driven approach is heavily influencing employee sentiment on what they do, and where.
The landscape has changed dramatically, but the dust hasn’t fully settled yet.
Movement is still ongoing and there can be no argument that the work landscape is now different. You have to understand the terrain – your new workplace experience baseline – in order to chart your way forward.
Knowing why your employees choose their work locations is vital and our data is starting to show that a purpose driven approach is heavily influencing employee sentiment on what they do, and where.
The challenge –
home vs. the office
Very few employees are wholly office based or wholly home based – the majority are working in a hybrid way that includes the use of their homes and offices. These employees face a simple challenge: what to do where?
The challenge –
home vs. the office
Very few employees are wholly office based or wholly home based – the majority are working in a hybrid way that includes the use of their homes and offices. These employees face a simple challenge: what to do where?
What is Purposeful Presence?
Purposeful Presence is a simple proposition: if employees are offered a reasonable level of choice for when they use an office, their trips will increasingly have a particular purpose in mind.
It consists of three cyclical stages:
1. Conscious decision making
2. The power of connection and Hotelification
3. Reflection
What is Purposeful Presence?
Purposeful Presence is a simple proposition: if employees are offered a reasonable level of choice for when they use an office, their trips will increasingly have a particular purpose in mind.
It consists of three cyclical stages:
- Conscious decision making
- The power of connection and Hotelification
- Reflection
1. Conscious decision making
To leave your bespoke home working environment and come to the office involves conscious decision-making. What is it and who has it?
33%
Across 125 responses from Leesman’s advisory panel of Global Real Estate Leaders, 33% of respondents indicated that “There will be an organisation-wide mandate to work in the office a certain number of days.”
Employees need the freedom to choose the work setting that is most optimal for the activities in which they plan to participate, or for the workplace features that they require.
So, instead of gently drawing employees out of their bespoke home working environments, is there a danger that stronger mandates disenfranchise employees?
1. Conscious decision making.
To leave your bespoke home working environment and come to the office involves conscious decision-making. What is it and who has it?
33%
Across 125 responses from Leesman’s advisory panel of Global Real Estate Leaders, 33% of respondents indicated that “There will be an organisation-wide mandate to work in the office a certain number of days.”
Employees need the freedom to choose the work setting that is most optimal for the activities in which they plan to participate, or for the workplace features that they require.
So, instead of gently drawing employees out of their bespoke home working environments, is there a danger that stronger mandates disenfranchise employees?
Conscious decision making can only be achieved if freedom is given
Conscious decision making can only be achieved if freedom is given
2. The power of connection
and Hotelification
To understand how employees interact with their workplaces, organisations need to first understand what forces are at play in pulling them between the office and home.
Although the home still supports most work activities better than the office, there are a handful of activities that are drawing employees back. These activites are all centred around connection rather than collaboration.
Connective activities that are better supported in the office:
• Hosting visitors, clients or customers
• Informal social interaction
• Learning from others
If done exceptionally, certain work features can help draw employees out of their home environments and back to the office:
• Parking
• Quiet rooms for working alone or in pairs
• Accessibility of colleagues
2. The power of connection
and Hotelification
To understand how employees interact with their workplaces, organisations need to first understand what forces are at play in pulling them between the office and home.
Although the home still supports most work activities better than the office, there are a handful of activities that are drawing employees back. These activites are all centred around connection rather than collaboration.
Connective activities that are better supported in the office:
- Hosting visitors, clients or customers
- Informal social interaction
- Learning from others
If done exceptionally, certain work features can help draw employees out of their home environments and back to the office:
- Parking
- Quiet rooms for working alone or in pairs
- Accessibility of colleagues
Future workplaces should be hubs of connection
Future workplaces should be hubs of connection
3. Reflection
Purposeful Presence is not something that is achieved once and then remains. Every interaction an employee has with their workplace will define and guide their thought process when next faced with the decision to journey to the office or not.
The Reflection stage of Purposeful Presence is just as important as Stages 1 and 2. If, on reflection, an employee doesn’t deem the ‘cost of working’ worth the experience they got, they are less likely to willingly return.
3. Reflection
Purposeful Presence is not something that is achieved once and then remains. Every interaction an employee has with their workplace will define and guide their thought process when next faced with the decision to journey to the office or not.
The Reflection stage of Purposeful Presence is just as important as Stages 1 and 2. If, on reflection, an employee doesn’t deem the ‘cost of working’ worth the experience they got, they are less likely to willingly return.
A positive interaction with the office will make the next decision to attend a simpler one
A positive interaction with the office will make the next decision to attend a simpler one
Resources
We understand the importance of sharing information in times of uncertainty. Whether it’s webinars or written content,
Leesman will stay at the forefront of investigating hybrid working and employee experience.
Talk to our experts to understand where your employees can do their best work.
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