Beloved offices

Many work routines were questioned during the pandemic, not least the office. Almost overnight, video meetings became part of everyday life. Office workers all over the world started wondering why they needed to go to the office at all. Writing emails, using Excel, PowerPoint and Word, making calls, reading reports – these are all things you can do from home. 

But as the pandemic dragged on,  they started to change their tune. Even employers – who were looking forward to slashing their overheads and a workforce that could be located anywhere in the world – began to see the downsides. It’s harder to be innovative if you never meet up in person. There are no informal meetings around the coffee machine, in the lounge or at lunch. And they are more important than previously thought. The rumoured death of the office was greatly exaggerated. 

In a survey by Axiom Insight, office workers in Sweden, Denmark and Finland were asked for their views on the office. The conclusion is clear – the office is here to stay. For many people, the office means social interaction and somewhere to meet new friends. As many as 62 per cent of respondents state that the most important feature of the office is their colleagues. Nine out of ten Nordic office workers are in the office for at least half the working week. 

The song remains the same in the rest of the world. For example, a study conducted by The Economist on behalf of Aruba found that the ability to choose where you work is the most significant factor in how creative you feel. In the same study, 42% said that they are more productive when they have easy access to the skills and know-how of others. It’s worth a lot to just be able to ask your colleagues for advice. 

Another advantage of the office is for onboarding new employees. Everyone who’s arrived at a new workplace knows how difficult it is – all the new names and faces, learning new tasks, getting to know the business and keeping track of who does what. All of this is twice as difficult when done remotely. A research study from the University of East London determined that successful onboarding of new employees is aided by ‘a significant amount of human encounters’ – which  is a lot easier in the office. 

It’s also been shown that some employees feel working from home is a better alternative when their office has shortcomings. It lacks high-focus areas, meeting spaces and digital meeting rooms that promote the activities you’re carrying out. If you have a well-planned office that supports your organisation’s activities and ways of working, your employees will want and be able to work at the office. And it’s worth remembering that what may be positive for the individual employee may be negative for the organisation as a whole. The employee may feel they can just as easily tick off their to-do list at home, but the team as a whole will miss out on innovation, problem solving and creative spontaneous meetings.

Changed working patterns and new ways of working in a hybrid world are placing new demands on the workplace. The office needs to be a value-creating, attractive and sustainable place, where people feel good, thrive and have the opportunity to perform at their best. It’s growing increasingly important not only to retain employees but also to attract new ones. 

And finally: yes, your manager notices you and your work more when you’re in the office. This is revealed by a study conducted by Envoy. As many as 96 per cent of U.S. managers admit that they pay more attention to their employees’ efforts if they’re in the office.