Hybrid working, where employees combine remote working with going into an office, is set to become the dominant model in the future, a survey claims.
However, most companies still believe the office is critical to their business operations and will begin to rethink their office spaces and real-estate strategy, according to JLL’s Future of Work Survey.
“The next three years will prove to be an inflection point for real estate as businesses plot their future path and rethink the purpose of their portfolio,” said Dr Marie Puybaraud, global head of research at JLL Work Dynamics.
“The changes accelerated by the pandemic represent an opportunity to pause, think about a long-term real estate strategy and how it aligns with future business priorities.”
The survey showed 72% of decision makers believe the office is critical to doing business, while 77% of corporate real estate (CRE) leaders also believe offering remote or hybrid working will be crucial to attracting and retaining talent in the future.
As the trend towards hybrid working continues, creating flexible working spaces will be a priority for CRE executives over the next three years.
The survey showed 43% of companies are planning to speed up investment in flexible space between now and 2025, with 51% saying they will lease flexible space through a third-party provider.
“As the office finds a new purpose post-pandemic as a destination for collaboration in employees’ hybrid workstyles, occupiers will need to continue increasing their investments in creative spaces,” said Sue Asprey Price, CEO of JLL Work Dynamics (EMEA).
According to the survey, 45% of organisations consider collaboration to be one of the primary purposes of office space and 73% plan to make all office spaces open, with no dedicated desks.
Faced with an increasing focus on the environment, 74% of occupiers said they are likely to pay a premium for green credentials, with 56% of occupiers planning to do so by 2025.
Social considerations must also be taken into account as nearly 8 out of 10 companies said their employees expect their workplaces to have a positive impact on society.
Technology will be critical in the future of successful real estate operations, but the gap that needs to be filled is “immense”, the survey found, with only 13% of CRE executives saying they are collecting data on an ongoing or real-time basis using advanced analytics.