COVID-19 Merging Physical and Digital Workplace Worlds

The COVID-19 pandemic has hastened the arrival of a more-mobile workforce less tethered to office spaces, according to a CBRE analysis.

In a March 2020 report, CBRE predicted that by 2030 nearly all employees will no longer be solely office-based but instead require a “network of locations” to do their jobs. In a recently released perspective, the real estate services and investment firm concludes that those predictions “are already here.”

As the novel coronavirus drove workers home, “the office-using business ecosystem instantly became dependent on home offices, mobile devices, video conferencing, messaging apps and the internet to remain solvent,” the CBRE analysis said. “But along with this success have come some very real challenges brought on by the collision of personal and professional life taking place under one roof.”

That collision of the physical and digital world will likely have a profound impact on what defines a workplace in the near future, according to the report.

Before COVID-19, “only the most progressive employers” were eschewing the traditional office space and embracing the idea of flexible working locations.

“As they emerge from COVID lockdown, workers likely will vote with their feet and choose places to work that offer new choices and spaces to cultivate their creativity, increase their productivity and most importantly improve their health and wellness,” CBRE concluded. “This transformation will become more critical than ever for companies to remain competitive by harnessing the power of the physical workplaces that mesh seamlessly with the digital world.”

CBRE’s  perspective made a number of near-term predictions for changes in the work space.

Physical headquarters will become less dense, with more room dedicated toward collaboration areas and less to individual work spaces.

“Higher-quality build-outs with the finishes, furnishings, technology and amenities that draw employees into the workplace will be more commonplace,” the report said. “Desk-sharing will be integral to satisfy a more mobile workforce that uses the office on a part-time basis, while promoting cost efficiency.”

Offices will have to be technology-enabled throughout the space to accommodate both on-site and remote workers. “Telephone-only conferencing will no longer suffice,” the analysis said.

Employers will rely increasingly on mobile apps to connect workers, to allow space booking and to link to food delivery, amenities and other services employees already access through their phones.

Companies could move toward a less-centralized office location strategy, choosing instead to create a network of spaces.

“A premium value likely will be placed on flexible space options as a portion of this strategy,” the report said. “Pay-as-you-go ‘desk pass’ systems may be more commonplace in the future.”