The current trend depicts a significant decrease in office attendance compared to pre-pandemic levels. Based on February 2024 data from Kastle Systems, office badge swipes in the top 10 U.S. cities are at approximately 52% of their pre-pandemic levels. The co-CEOs and global co-chairs of architecture and design firm Gensler, Andy Cohen and Diane Hoskins, emphasize the importance of understanding employees' desires regarding the office environment.
They argue that companies often fail to grasp what employees truly want from their office space, leading to the misconception that providing a single amenity such as a game room or bar will be sufficient to entice employees back to the workplace.
Cohen and Hoskins stress the significance of offering employees a sense of choice by providing a variety of communal and private spaces within the office. They recommend that business leaders survey employees to better comprehend their preferences and adjust the office space accordingly. Failure to adapt to employees' shifting preferences and needs could render traditional office spaces outdated, according to Cohen.
He warns that companies expecting employees to adapt to an unchanged office environment risk being left behind if they do not adjust to meet employees' evolving expectations.