The Evolution of the Modern Office Began Well Before the Pandemic
COVID-19 is accelerating trends that were already underway for years.
September 15, 2020 | Julie Whelan | National Real Estate Investor
There’s no shortage of conjecture amid COVID-19 about the fate of offices across the globe. The office isn’t going away, but the pandemic has accelerated an evolution of the role it serves for companies.
The latest debate is fueled by experience that many companies have had with remote work during the pandemic. In the future, there is no question that employees will have more choice regarding their work environment and some, depending on their functions, will have the option to continue working remotely. But there is a much deeper question being debated as all of this unfolds: How will the office transform to connect and engage a more widely distributed workforce? Current workforce trends and, in turn, how the office supports them, aren’t actually new. Rather, they are accelerating—under new level of scrutiny from corporate C-suite executives and boards of directors—because of the unprecedented work experience that has shaped 2020. The previous era of blind acceptance of long commutes guided by a rigid 8-5 schedule will be challenged to new degrees as we emerge from this COVID-19 era. At the same time, lessons learned over the past decade will continue to guide the future of the office.
CBRE’s survey of clients about the “Future of the Office” confirms this reality: City centers are not likely to be overshadowed by suburban markets, and office buildings are not likely to be forsaken in favor of home offices. But flexibility will be favored over rigidity, and the physical world will face increasing competition from the digital world.
