When COVID-19 hit, businesses quickly pivoted to allow employees to work from home whenever possible.
Before the pandemic, . But by May 2020, that number jumped to 65%.
As health concerns ease, companies again ponder their office policies and determine whether to require employees to work in person.
Many decided to continue offering their employees the choice of where to work.
But that flexibility also means businesses are re-evaluating how much office space they need.
Letting employees decide
Bill Goldberg, Home Mortgage Alliance president, says letting his staff choose where they work improves employee satisfaction. Although employees continue to use conference rooms for employee or client meetings, the cubicles often sit empty.
“We’ll always have an office, it’s just a question of how much space we’ll really need,” he says.
Dale Petrillo, Supreme Lending regional branch manager, says his company also will let workers decide whether to complete tasks at home or in-office.
“Everyone had different situations in their home lives, and we want the work environment to be conducive to their needs,” he says. “Instead of having a blanket policy, we are putting the decision in their hands.”
Best use of existing office space
While some employees choose to come to the office daily, others come in a couple of days each week, and some work from home exclusively, Petrillo says.
“I don’t anticipate having everyone back to the office full-time because doing that does not match the needs of everyone’s desires and family situations.”
But Supreme Lending won’t reduce its office space. “Instead, we will use our current space a bit differently to allow people to have the workspace they need when they come into the office. We want them to know they’ll always have a physical place to work if they need it.”
Some businesses opt to cut back
Alan Smith, RE/MAX Professionals broker-owner and one of three partners, said while agents can work from home and be efficient, communication and teamwork improve when people work in the office.
“The energy in the office helps motivate them and it helps newer agents learn the business,” Smith says. “We also can help the clients more. That’s hard to do when you’re home in your pajamas eight hours a day.”
But because the company will continue to allow employees to work in-office or at home, RE/MAX Professionals will decrease its office square footage.
“We’ll always operate a hub so people can come in but we don’t need as much space.”
Kathy Bultman, Fairway Independent Mortgage vice president of corporate communications, says employees will continue to have the option to work remotely.
Consequently, Fairway reduced the space it uses in some of its offices but will continue to offer meeting rooms for clients who want to meet face-to-face to complete their loan applications or sign their closing documents.
Expanding and finding a better use for space
Matt Hudson, Colorado Home Realty CEO, says his company plans to add office space.
“We believe it’s the job of an organization to create an environment where people find meaning and purpose in their work,” he says.
But that additional space won’t be devoted to adding more cubicles.
Instead, the company will use it to add training space and a rock-climbing wall.
“You build your company through doing hard things and fun things. It has to be more than just coworkers accomplishing a task,” he says.
Carrie Hurich, Madison & Co. Properties senior vice president of operations, says employees are back in the office. “We are back in the office full time and are thriving. We love being together and collaborating with one another.”
Because the company added agents and staff during the pandemic, the company is expanding several offices.
Stacie Staub, West+Main founder and CEO, says the agency’s employees have always been able to work where they want.
“We’ve never had employees in the office full time, so no, I don’t see 40 hours a week sitting at an assigned desk in West+Main’s future,” she says.
But West+Main plans to expand by adding more retail-level storefronts so it can serve customers in more market areas.
Cully Cavness, Crusoe Energy president and co-founder, says the company uses a flexible work schedule that lets employees work from home two days per week.
“A large part of our culture is derived from working together in person,” he says.
The company does not plan to reduce its office space. It intends to move into a 30,000-square foot office in Cherry Creek.
“In fact, in the past year, we’ve more than doubled our office footprint in Denver,” Cavness says.
