Most companies' return-to-office requests are 'fairly passive'
Since 19% have no set guidelines for workers’ return, employers need to focus on creating new practices and implementing new tools to help drive a new normal, suggests CBRE survey.
Roughly 58% of companies reported employees were working in the office less often than executives expected, according to an August survey from CBRE.
It’s a noteworthy metric given the reported post-Labor Day push for bosses to expect more in-office time for their staff members. This leaves open the question of whether employees will actually return at a regular cadence that endures over time, CBRE writes.
By comparison, 39% of companies said attendance was ideal and 3% that said it was more than anticipated. The survey was conducted by CoreNet Global on behalf of CBRE.
Digging in Their Heels – Kind Of
Managers are digging in their heels to various depths, the survey showed.
It found that 36% of companies have set corporate expectations for office attendance, 25% have allowed managers and teams to set attendance expectations and 19% have set no guidelines.
A further 16% have allowed a combination of managers and employees together to set the guidelines and 4% have left it to employees to decide for themselves.
Related: Strange ironies face companies getting employees back to the office
CBRE writes that because most companies aren’t enacting strict attendance mandates, the methods and tools managers are using to encourage employees to come into the office are more important. The survey suggested those methods “so far are fairly passive.” As such:
- 62% send memos to employees about policies and expectations for office attendance;
- 41% explain why a return to the office matters for their company;
- 29% survey employees about their needs and preferences;
- 18% train managers to guide and evaluate employees’ behaviors around office attendance.
Julie Whelan, CBRE Global Head of Occupier Research at CBRE said in prepared remarks, “To change organizational behavior, companies need to focus on creating new practices and implementing new tools to help drive a new normal. This is less about iterating on what was. It’s about working to change behaviors based on a new set of norms and principles.”