Insights
Companies Are Changing the Way They Operate to Entice Employees Back Into the Office
Posted July 31st, 2023 in Articles
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many forecasters predicted that the office environment would largely become a relic of the past. With companies working quickly to make working from home a viable option for employees at all levels, many assumed that the exodus from the office would be permanent.
This hasn’t proven to be the case.
While some companies have continued to allow their employees to work from home in the post-pandemic era, many have called their employees back to the office. Although many of these companies have faced resistance from employees who have gotten used to working in casual clothes and skipping the morning and evening commutes, many have also succeeded in enticing their employees back to the office environment.
In-Office Amenities Are the Latest Trend—and They May Be Here to Stay
To do so, these companies have deployed a variety of different strategies. While some companies have simply told their employees that they can come back to the office or find a new job, others have had success making employees want to come back while also boosting employee retention and morale.
Since the pandemic, we have seen several stories about office buildings sitting vacant. However, one sector of the commercial real estate market is outperforming all others in the post-pandemic era. As reported by CNN Business, “trophy, newly built, highly amenitized office spaces” have seen rent growth of approximately 10 percent since pre-Covid times. As the article goes on to explain:
“These buildings have large conference sites that allow you to effectively have offsite meetings in the building. They have lounges and gyms and restaurants built in. They’re a hybrid of workspace and home.”
In other words, companies are enticing their employees back to the office by making the office as non-office-like as possible. By offering employees amenities that are even more attractive than the benefits of working from home, companies are convincing employees that going back isn’t just in the company’s best interests but that it is in their own best interests as well.
Of course, different employees have different wants and needs. So, no single formula will work for all companies. However, the latest data suggest that the concept is working overall and that convincing employees to come back is a matter of figuring out what matters most to them.
As these “hybrid” workplaces become the norm, offering an amenity-rich office environment will become important for recruitment purposes as well. If employees can’t find what they want in one office environment, they will simply look for another. So, while the pandemic didn’t ultimately produce the seismic shift that many experts anticipated, it appears that we may now be experiencing a long-term shift in a completely different direction.
Speak with a Consultant at Mithras Investments
Do you have questions about what your company can (and should) be doing to build an engaged and high-performing office-based workforce? If so, we invite you to get in touch. To schedule an appointment with a consultant at Mithras Investments, please call 305-517-7911 or inquire online today.
