Today, as the world grapples with economic uncertainty, a large number of high-performing companies are investing in technology to improve the workplace experience. A new JLL report, for example, finds that 94% of property teams will be looking to invest in workplace technology in 2023. Deloitte’s 2023 CRE Outlook survey supports this prediction, and even goes a step further: it finds that two thirds of CRE executives are planning to increase their technology investments in the coming year.
But as industry leaders consider adding workplace experience technology as part of their increased technology investment, they’ll have to make sure that they’re choosing the right technology to meet their business’ needs, especially in today’s challenging economic climate. That’s why, in this blog, we’ll review survey response data from leading research firm Leesman, an HqO company, which will expose 3 of the most important employee pain points for 2023 and beyond.
- 1. Poor workplace connections are hurting employee satisfaction
Two years after the start of the pandemic, many corporate real estate leaders have already improved their experience strategies to boost productivity and engagement, and increase workplace connections. But the latest research tells us that there’s still more work to be done when it comes to creating and preserving a sense of community in the workplace. That’s why (according to LinkedIn data) roughly 10,000 employers were hiring for workplace experience professionals in 2022.
Still, despite the importance of community to the workplace experience, Leesman found that 31% of today’s employees do not think that the workplace contributes to a sense of community at work. This presents a problem for today’s employers and corporate real estate leaders, who need to do all they can to attract and retain tenants and employees in a challenging market.
- 2. Support for employee productivity is critically low
According to Leesman, 30% of today’s employees do not agree that their workplace environment enables them to work productively. While these numbers have improved in the years since the start of the pandemic, Leesman shows industry leaders that dissatisfaction with both built and digital workplace environments remain persistently high. In 2023, as the macroeconomic picture remains uncertain, corporate real estate leaders will have to do more to support productive work and justify the commute for their employees. They’ll also want to discourage certain behaviors like “quiet quitting”, which can be avoided by boosting collaboration and satisfaction in the workplace. Behaviors like quiet quitting can also be discouraged by requiring or encouraging some in-person presence.
Employers and property teams can support productive work environments by improving access to office spaces, adding new technology, and improving workplace connections. They can also help create productive workplace environments by gathering employee sentiment data proactively, on an ongoing basis, and using it to meet their employees’ evolving needs.
- 3. Knowledge-sharing is a crucial area lacking focus and delivery
The sharing of knowledge and ideas amongst colleagues is essential for the success of any organization. But, according to Leesman, 25% of today’s employees do not agree that their workplace environment supports the sharing of ideas and knowledge among colleagues.
In 2023, as the shift toward hybrid work accelerates and workplace connectivity becomes more important, corporate real estate leaders will have to do more to support this key workplace activity. Employers and CRE decision-makers can do this by improving workplace connections and adding support for newly-important work activities like informal social interaction. They can also boost satisfaction and increase connectivity by adding technology to bridge the gap between hybrid-remote and in-person employees.
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