THE REIMAGINED FUTURE OF WORK AND PLACE
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
WE SURVEYED 2,300+ U.S. WORKERS IN OCT-NOV 2021 ENERGY
3% LEGAL 79% of workers are aware MEDIA 3% of their company’s return SCIENCES 3% to office plan 4%
SENIOR LEADERSHIP DIRECTOR
8%
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
19%
9%
FOUNDATIONS
FINANCE
20%
4%
MANAGEMENT/ ADVISORY
TECHNICAL STAFF
10%
ROLE
MANAGER
31%
Only 21% of workers have not been given a return to office plan PROFESSIONAL STAFF
7%
TECHNOLOGY
BABY BOOMER
18%
25% MILLENNIAL
34% GENERATION
GEN X
30%
19%
GOVERNMENT/ DEFENSE
23%
The percentage of the overall sample categorized by the respondent’s role, generation, and industry.
INDUSTRY
GEN Z
11%
CONSUMER GOODS
19%
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
SURVEY GOALS
What are employees expecting? How prepared are companies to return to the office?
What are companies planning?
What work activities are occuring in the office?
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
MOST COMPANIES HAVE ANNOUNCED THEIR INITIAL RETURN TO THE OFFICE PLANS 79% of workers are aware of their company’s return to office plan
Only 21% of workers have not been given a return to office plan
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
TWO-THIRDS OF COMPANIES HAVE ANNOUNCED FLEXIBLE POLICIES, WITH ONLY 9% GIVING WORKERS TOTAL CONTROL Four-fifths of workers know their company’s return to office plans—here’s what they’ve been told: 37% Full-time office mandate Require that everyone is in the office full-time
54% Flexible work policies
Only 21% of workers have not been given a return to office plan
13% Provide work from home options to those with health or family care issues 4% Senior leadership approves all remote work requests 25% Require that everyone is in the office at least part-time 4% Give everyone a number of remote workdays per month that they use as they choose 3% Encourage staff to be in the office during set “core” days/hours with the remainder being flexible 4% Teams determine their own schedules based on work needs
9% Complete flexibility Give everyone the option to define their own in office schedule
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
RETURN TO OFFICE POLICIES VARY WIDELY BY INDUSTRY
Give everyone a number of remote workdays per month Give everyone the that they use as they choose option to define their Senior leadership own in-office schedule approves all remote work requests Encourage staff to be in the office during set "core" Provide work from home days/hours, with the options to those with remainder being flexible health or family care issues Teams determine their own schedules Required everyone is in based on work needs the office full-time
WHICH POLICY MOST CLOSELY DESCRIBES YOUR COMPANY’S CURRENT REMOTE WORK POLICY?
Consumer Goods
52%
Financial Services
19%
Technology Management Advisory
13%
37%
Government/Defense
23%
17% 11%
26% 19%
10%
12%
7% 5% 9%
15%
11% 11% 13%
10% 11% 9%
7% 6% 11%
6% 7% 8% 9%
6% 8%
12% 10% 20% 19% 27%
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
NEARLY HALF OF U.S. WORKERS STILL PREFER FULL-TIME REMOTE WORK— BUT AS THE PANDEMIC RECEDES, THOSE NUMBERS WILL FALL
IDEAL NUMBER OF DAYS WORKING FROM THE OFFICE, CURRENTLY AND POST-PANDEMIC (ONCE WORKPLACES AND CITIES ARE FULLY REOPENED) IDEAL (CURRENT)
Full time in office
19%
4 days in office
4%
3 days in office
9% 36%
2 days in office
1 day in office
13%
10%
Full time remote
45%
Hybrid work model
IDEAL (POST-PANDEMIC FUTURE)
19%
7%
11%
19% 52%
15%
29%
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: US WORKPLACE SURVEY FALL ‘21
JUST UNDER HALF OF EMPLOYEES ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING FULL DAYS IN THE OFFICE, BUT TWO-THIRDS EXPECT TO HAVE TO STRUCTURE THEIR TIME THAT WAY 18%
33%
Primarily come to the office for specific meetings or events
Primarily come to the office for specific meetings or events, or for extended periods of time
45% Ideally, how would you structure your time in the office?
Full days in the office
16% Partial days in the office
How do you expect to structure your time in the office?
66% 22% Partial days in the office
Full days in the office
how do we rethink the physical workplace and its role for a post-covid world?
DISTRIBUTED WORKFORCE ECOSYSTEM Distributed Work Force is the ability of individuals—when supported by robust mobile technology and workplace policies—to work in any location they believe they can do their best work.
EXTERNAL MOBILITY WORK FROM HOME HOME
INTERNAL MOBILITY COWORKING
PUBLIC
OFFICE
DISTRIBUTED WORKFORCE PERSONAS Defining user profiles that exist in the organization today and in the future within the distributed work force model. CANDIDATES FOR SEAT SHARING
RESIDENT
Work is primarily heads down focus or phonebased, or presence is required for access by colleagues or in-person collaboration. Assigned seat.
FLEX
Work is characterized by a balance of focus work and collaboration with some travel. Unassigned seat. Typically 1-2 days working elsewhere.
ROAMING
Work requires frequent off-site meetings, resulting in a high percentage of time spent out of the office. Unassigned seats. Typically 3-4 days working elsewhere.
REMOTE
Work from home or another location 100% of the time, not requiring a seat in the office environment. Unassigned seats.
GENSLER RESEARCH INSTITUTE: CITY PULSE 3 SURVEY
FOR CITY DWELLERS WITH THE ABILITY TO WORK REMOTELY, ONE IN THREE ARE CONSIDERING MOVING New York
26%
San Francisco
32%
Atlanta
32%
Austin
29%
Denver
28%
London
28%
Paris
Workers with the ability to work remotely are significantly more likely to consider a move.
29%
Has the ability to work remotely made you think about moving to a different city?
24% BOOMERS
21%
Singapore Shanghai
26%
Mexico City
29% 0%
22% Non-remote worker average
28% Average
39% GEN Z 41% GEN X
50%
33% Remote worker average
51% MILLENNIALS
42% AVERAGE
OUR CITIES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A ONCE-IN-A GENERATION RESET
IT’S TIME TO….
REIMAGINE BUILDINGS
DESIGN STREETS
INCORPORATE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
ATTRIBUTES OF THE RESILIENT CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT MORE POLYCENTRIC
MORE DIVERSE
MORE CONNECTED
MORE INNOVATIVE
New and maturing dense mixed use business clusters in larger metro areas, interwoven in regional industries
Programatically, economically, culturally, and experientially with reduced and distributed dependency on office use
Re-imagined walkable public realm and ground floor retail as new “3rd Place” that promotes inclusivity, health and belonging
Fostering and cultivating entrepreneurs, culture, science, eds/meds and hybrid uses
MORE LOCAL Greater affordability brings more community uses and partnerships, housing and home-grown enterprises and is more community-oriented
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CITIES?
Tuttle Village Royale Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Zone for polycentricity
Rethink the CBD to be less 9-5 and more 24/7
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CITIES?
Tuttle Village Royale Royal Palm Beach, Florida
Design/improve neighborhoods
Attract and retain people, not businesses
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CITIES?
Coral Gables Mobility Hub Coral Gables, Florida
Tackle affordability
Rethink transit
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR DEVELOPERS?
Plan, design, and provide for a diverse mix of uses
NPI Paseo Coral Gables, Florida
Ensure developments are connected seamlessly through multiple modes
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR DEVELOPERS?
Starwood Capital Headquarters Miami Beach, Florida
Re adapt, redevelop, reposition existing buildings
Rethink lease terms to provide for greater flexibility for tenants
Design for people-scale, authenticity, and wellness
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR COMPANIES?
Gensler Miami, Florida
Reimagine workplace
Consider hub and spoke model of working
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR COMPANIES?
545wyn Miami, Florida
Redesign spaces for collaboration
Focus on well-being
THE REIMAGINED FUTURE OF WORK AND PLACE CARLOS VALERA, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, NCIDQ MANAGING DIRECTOR, PRINCIPAL CARLOS_VALERA@GENSLER.COM