Global Office Occupiers Set To Transform Workplace Designs

An open-plan modern workplace lit by large windows Nearly three quarters of global office occupiers responding to a survey expect to transform their workplace design in the next two years, according to a report from Mace, the global construction, consultancy and facilities management company.

The report, which was produced using data from a global client workplace survey issued by Mace to over 4,000 CRE professionals, shows that businesses worldwide are reviewing their current workplace offer following the pandemic, in a move to improve employee experience and attract people back into offices.

Data collected from businesses with both globally dispersed and single-site portfolios shows that the primary focus for workplace teams is employee experience, where 60% of survey respondents said it was their top priority.

Nearly two thirds (62%) of respondents from across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, financial services, and technology, have shared that they have revised their workplace strategy due to the coronavirus pandemic.

When it comes to working habits of employees, businesses reported a significant change from pre-pandemic practices to their future look ahead, with 48% of businesses stating that their employees were fully office-based before lockdowns, with just 2% indicating this would be the case in the future.



Front cover of Mace's Workplace Survey Report 2021 With a clear focus on improving the employee experience, nearly 60% of survey respondents reported they would be making changes to workplace design in the next 12-24 months, with 28% of corporate real estate leaders suggesting they would be updating the whole portfolio within that time.

The survey shows that despite the differences in sectors, global coverage and portfolio size, that generally businesses and their workplace teams are reconsidering their workplace experience post-pandemic.

Ross Abbate, CEO for Mace’s Operate Division, said: “The data tells us that our corporate real estate clients are working to improve the employee experience in a bid to attract their employees back into the office.

“We have witnessed how much value the workplace brings for businesses and have experienced instances where employees have reassessed how much time they spend remote working after being back in the office.

“The data from this survey will support how we work with our clients to deliver shared outcomes and help shape new ways of working.”