Where Do I Sit?

Coworking, hoteling, benching, cubicles, private offices, phone booths, all-hands and collaboration space, game rooms, food service, sit/stand desks, hybrid, remote, exercise facilities, outdoor space, technology…the way we work has been rapidly changing for the past decade.  The pandemic merely accelerated these changes. 

Yet deciding how and where employees work is more complicated than ever.  Establishing the workplace has always been, at least partly, a leap of faith.  Will our talent revolt if we introduce benching?  Will our top professionals balk if we move their private offices from the window line to the interior?  Do we need to invest in sit/stand desks?  Should we have a satellite office close to where our employees live?  Endless decisions.  And the choices can have a big impact on employee recruitment and retention.  There’s a lot at stake.

In our experience, it’s important for companies to be intentional and thoughtful with workplace decisions.  Employers should engage employees in designing and implementing workplace strategies.  But many companies seek to avoid giving the employees a say in the matter.  The common thinking is, “we don’t want to give them the sense they have power to dictate how they work and/or how we establish the workplace because we may not agree with their ideas and/or be able to meet their demands”.  This is understandable.  However, it’s a mistake.  The conversations should take place.  The employees should have a voice.  But it should be a guided/managed discussion, infused with transparent understanding that it’s rarely a “blank slate” and there are limitations to what can be accomplished.  This level of engagement sends a clear message that the employer cares about its employee experience and truly wants to get it right.  Messaging is a big part of any workplace strategy.  Afterall, office space is a huge investment made for the benefit of the employees and the company.  It’s a wasted opportunity when the benefits of this investment are not clearly communicated across the organization.   

We’re in a time of extreme workplace change.  It’s important to manage this change intelligently and remember that every company is different.  For most, it will also be smart to proceed with caution and not look to be an early adopter of extreme strategies (e.g., fully remote).  It’s a safe bet that as the effects of the pandemic dissipate and we return more fully to the habits of our pre-pandemic lives, the nature of the office will also revert to more closely resemble the fall of 2019 than the spring of 2020.