U.S. OFFICE OCCUPIER SENTIMENT SURVEY: EMERGING OFFICE TRENDS FOR 2022 AND BEYOND.

• Author: Johnson, Barb

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has forever transformed the modern workplace. Even on the heels of the worst of the virus, many employees remain working remotely or splitting their time between home and the office--better known as the hybrid model. As such, office usage remains muted. However, as cases continue to decline and the U.S. embraces a sense of relative normalcy again, employers are looking to improve this by accommodating new ways of working that include a broad return to office.

In order to better gauge the nature of these new workplace dynamics, CBRE conducted the Spring 2022 Occupier Sentiment Survey, examining the return-to-office strategies being employed by 185 corporate real estate executives with U.S. office portfolios. The report highlighted 10 key findings that give insight into the priorities of executives seeking to demonstrate the value of the office to their employees.

1. A RETURN TO THE OFFICE TAKES HOLD

   The majority of corporate real estate executives reported a return-to-office plan in one phase or another. Specifically, 36% indicated that a return was already underway, while another 26% anticipated a return by the end of Q2 202. Small companies were most likely to indicate a return. Accordingly, CBRE expects office occupancy to continue to increase over the next quarter, as most survey respondents say they will return to the office in the first half of the year.

2. SLOW RETURN LIKELY

   Despite ongoing return-to-office efforts, executives acknowledge that the transition cannot happen overnight. Survey results indicate that employers are split in their strategies to influence employees' return to office, with 31% opting for prescriptive timelines and 53% choosing to leave the decision up to their workers. The latter group expects a slower, more gradual return as employees adjust to new routines after two years of working from home. Both groups reported making concerted efforts to provide decisive and consistent messaging on leadership expectations for a return.

3. SUSTAINED SUPPORT OF HYBRID WORKING

   80% of surveyed executives plan to provide some level of guidance to employees as they return to the office, with many prioritizing a flexibility/predictability balance. As such, the hybrid model has risen in popularity, allowing employers to foster workplace culture while still offering their employees work autonomy. Although approximately one-fifth of respondents expressed a desire to remain office-based...