Before switching to flex, get the facts from Worka Made

One thing’s certain: we work differently these days. Your workday might take place from a desk at home, include commuting a few days a week, or feature the use of flexible office spaces. Not unsurprisingly, the global average office occupancy rate has fallen from 65% pre-pandemic to 35% in 2023, all thanks to the rise of hybrid work.

However, companies aren’t keeping up. By 2023, only 54% had formally adopted hybrid work. More than 66% of office users were still operating from pre-pandemic workspaces lacking suitable technology, collaboration features, social spaces, or hospitality. People may visit the office less often, but they expect more when they’re there.

This disparity is unsustainable. Despite a 6% increase in office occupancy from 2022 to 2023, on average 40% of space is still underutilized and many companies risk wasting money and energy on workspaces that simply don’t benefit their employees. They have big choices to make in terms of the size and shape of their future office portfolio. The trouble is most of them are basing their decisions on unreliable data.

Happily, the answers are out there. For example, Worka Made is a service that can guide you to the right workplace solution, starting with accurate demand forecasts.

Fail to plan, plan to fail

Accurately forecasting the amount and type of space you need is difficult. Across Europe, there are consistent peaks in the middle of the week and very low attendance on Mondays and Fridays.

You can’t respond by cutting your total space, as it won’t meet demand on peak days. Mandatory “in office” hours don’t work, with management expectations out of sync with employees’ actual behaviour. So how do you design the ideal workspace experience while watching the budget?

First, you can forget the static headcount/space metric. With Worka Made, we know the most useful tool is the demand curve, which projects show-up rates based on hybrid work policies, commuting patterns, and other behavioural factors. This helps you forecast average and peak occupancy, make data-based decisions on setting capacity, and reduce waste.

Reliable and refinable

We’ve teamed up with ReKalibrate to develop benchmark demand curves based on typical user profiles across 50 million square feet of office space worldwide – and we are constantly refining the models. We can help you create new demand curves tailored to your needs, including carbon reduction and user wellbeing.

Introducing ‘The Configurator’

Knowing what you need is one thing. Achieving it is another. The Worka Made Configurator responds to actual user journeys rather than static needs. Based on your brief it generates three different dynamic office models: the Nest (focused and task-oriented); the Hub (balanced and activity-based); and the Club (open and event-driven).

All three have a baseline design that reflects global best practices in wellbeing and sustainability, plus a menu of extra features. And thanks to Worka’s integrated global supply chain, the digital experience soon becomes reality, with guaranteed cost, quality, and ESG outcomes.

Embrace the new normal

Hybrid is here to stay, so let’s create offices that are fit for the future. For more information on how Worka Made can deliver satisfied and productive people, the right carbon footprint, lower costs, and more sustainable building performance, get in touch today.

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