Office attendance has stabilized at 30% lower than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a McKinsey Global Institute report. "There is a large percentage of people who are following hybrid work and going a few days a week to their offices," said Brian Vickery, a partner at McKinsey & Co.
The company did a survey of major companies in nine cities around the world, including New York, San. Francis, London and Tokyo. "What they're telling us in the survey is that they're very close to where they want to be in the future," Vickery said. Many companies have left individual teams to find what works best for them.
This flexibility, according to market people, is helping to reduce demand for office space. By 2030, McKinsey predicts, demand for office space will be up to 20% lower than it was in 2019, depending on the city. While remote and hybrid working is the main reason, the trend for more offices in less space and a shift towards automation were also factored into her analysis. Lower demand for office space is forcing companies to rethink how to make their properties suitable for new working habits. Teamwork and increased productivity are the main reasons flex workers advocate for being in the physical workplace.
According to the survey, many workplaces do not meet the needs of employees. Having spaces for employees that are free of noise and distraction so they can work independently is "critical to job performance," says Jordan Goldstein, managing director at architecture firm Gensler.
It is also important to generate what is called "meeting equity", so that people in the office and people working remotely can conduct business. "The days of a room of four to six people with a 42-inch flat screen on the wall are over," Goldstein said. Instead, he suggests employers create an environment where virtual and physical offices come together.
