Thriving in a hybrid work environment

Key findings

1. 78% of Australian workers who can work remotely want the option to work hybrid or from home.¹
2. 73% of organisations globally plan to make all office space open and collaborative, with no dedicated desks.²
3. 18 minutes spent each day, on average, trying to find an appropriate workspace in the office.³
4. 45% potential space saving under a technology-enabled hybrid model compared with assigned desking, and 25% compared with activity based working.⁴
5. 63% of hybrid and remote workers report high job satisfaction, against 50% of on-site only workers.⁵

Four challenges of hybrid working

Challenge 1: Collaboration and connectedness

Fixed desks cannot flex with changing team needs, and first-in, first-served hot desking works against team-based working. Real-time visibility of where teammates plan to sit lets project teams coordinate days together.

Challenge 2: Inclusivity

In a downsized office, staff who start later, such as parents on school drop-off or long-distance commuters, risk missing out. Reserving ahead from anywhere, and team neighbourhoods with priority access, keep the office fair.

Challenge 3: Office space utilisation

Downsizing is not a one-off decision. Workplace and property teams need a live view of the floor and trend data to know whether space is being used well, and to keep adjusting.

Challenge 4: Productivity

Finding a desk, room, locker or car space on arrival costs time. Planning the week in advance, and seeing teammates' bookings, removes the daily coordination overhead.

Space and cost by office model

Table 1. Estimated space requirement and annual leasing cost per employee under three office models.

Based on a leasing cost of $1,000 per m² per year in the Sydney CBD.⁶ Space figures are Nura Space modelling.⁴

“The employee experience is about making your employees' lives easier. Put simply, it's about adopting a people-centric approach.”

Samantha Simpson · Workplace behaviour expert and former Nura Space Product Owner

In the full guide

1. Hybrid working in the digital era
2. Four challenges of hybrid working, with a response to each
3. Downsizing to optimise space utilisation
4. Real estate cost savings by office model
5. Employee experience, engagement and wellbeing

References

1. Swinburne University of Technology and Deloitte, survey of 2,000 Australian workers, 2022.
2. JLL, global occupier research, 2022.
3. Indeed, survey of more than 1,000 workers.
4. Nura Space modelling of desk requirements under three office models.
5. PwC, Hopes and Fears global workforce survey, 2022.
6. Statista, Sydney CBD office leasing cost.