Insidesource Workplace
IS Workplace
Re-Integration Survey
May 6, 2020
Insidesource has conducted a survey with our global clients to learn more about the priorities and needs that companies are assessing while planning re-integration into the workplace. With the 96% of respondents located in The United States and 4% in Europe, the majority of participating organizations are based in Northern California or the North East. Participants responded to questions regarding re-integration readiness and goals, plans for adjusted working styles, and furniture and space planning.
The sizes of companies represented in the survey are diverse. The three largest number of respondents represent companies of 0-50 employees, followed by companies of 1,001-5,000 employees and finally companies of 201-500 employees. Fewer than 15% of respondents represented companies of 51-200 and 5,001-10,000 employees. Survey respondents will remain anonymous.
The primary goal of our survey is to better understand and analyze the current and future impacts on the workplace and the strategies being implemented to support a return to the office. This data will be used in part to inform Insidesource when working with our clients on re-integrations plans.
How many employees does your organization have?
OVERALL GOALS AND READINESS
Key Takeaway
When reviewing big-picture goals and readiness, organizations are most concerned with space planning, followed by health and safety protocol and culture and connection. Companies are still developing strategies and steps for re-integration, however only a small amount reported feeling completely unprepared.
Given your company's current circumstances, what stage of readiness are you in to have employees return to the office setting?
In your re-integration strategy, how challenging do you find these areas of focus?
WORKING STYLES
Key Takeaway
A blend of re-integration approaches is shown to be the leading plan for employees returning to work. The largest numbers of respondents plan on using a mixture of rolling occupancy and work from home programs, while over half of the respondents reported long-term plans to implement WFH policies for up to 50% of their workforce.
Over the long term, what percentage of your employees will continue to telecommute?
What approaches are you considering employing in your
re-integration plans over the next 60-90 days?
Work from home protocols will continue for the foreseeable future, impacting the future of flexible and agile workplace strategies
SPACE AND FURNITURE
Key Takeaway
Immediate solutions to solve for social distancing was the leading concern companies reported, followed by de-densification test fits. Re-adjusting office spaces and finding furniture solutions to adhere to social distancing is the biggest priority for organizations. Outfitting suitable WFH spaces also ranked highly in areas of concern. We found that asset managing and warehousing, along with room booking software, were not immediate concerns for companies planning re-integration.
The way we value spaces in our offices has already begun to shift due to the new norms of social distancing. The largest percentage of companies suggested that workstations will become the most valuable assets in their workplaces followed by home offices. Amenity spaces, such as cafes and wellness rooms, ranked third in areas of value, as teams begin to brainstorm strategies to create safe communal environments and tackle the overarching issue of how the workplace will foster community and connectivity moving into the post-COVID era.
As it relates to space and furniture, what are the most important objectives below in supporting your re-integration strategies?
What do you anticipate will be your perceived value of the spaces below in 12 months?
CONCLUSION
Our survey was just one of the ways Insidesource has begun collecting information about how to better support and strategize for office re-entry in the COVID-era. While this data will be utilized in our collaborations with clients, we also understand all companies are different, with different priorities, cultures and working methods. We will continue asking questions and researching the ways that we can better serve our clients, and therefore our community, during a time when social responsibility and safety is paramount.
