Purposeful Presence

What does it mean and how can it support your return to office plans?

Download the report

Purposeful Presence

What does it mean and how can it support your return to office plans?

Download the report

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:

  1. Conscious decision making
  2. The power of connection and Hotelification
  3. 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

Read our report

Purposeful presence is a force in building future workplace programmes, find out how.

Download the report

Read our report

Purposeful presence is a force in building future workplace programmes, find out how.

Download the report

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.

home working webinar

Purposeful Presence webinar

Watch our most recent webinar as our experts explore the data behind our ‘Purposeful Presence’ proposition and discuss its three cyclical stages.

Watch the webinar
Understanding the choices employees face

It’s time to understand what new industry buzz-phrase ‘purposeful presence’ means and how it will ultimately change the way employees engage with their workplaces.

Read the article
It’s all about the journey

The commute is now returning to the daily routine of employees. It’s time for organisations to investigate both the drivers and sentiments employees have with the commute to assist their future workplace strategies.

Read the article
home working webinar

Purposeful Presence webinar

Watch our most recent webinar as our experts explore the data behind our ‘Purposeful Presence’ proposition and discuss its three cyclical stages.

Watch the webinar
Understanding the choices employees face

It’s time to understand what the new industry buzz-phrase ‘purposeful presence’ means and how it will ultimately change the way employees engage with their workplaces.

Read the article
It’s all about the journey

The commute is now returning to the daily routine of employees. It’s time for organisations to investigate both the drivers and sentiments employees have with the commute to assist their future workplace strategies.

Read the article

Talk to our experts to understand where your employees can do their best work.

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