IMMOFINANZ study: success factors for a return to office
IMMOFINANZ and the market research institute Konzept & Markt conducted a study analysing the requirements for new work offices and identified three key factors for a successful return to office.
After remote work and working from home had been gaining ground for several years, a clear countertrend has been noticeable for some time now. In the USA, many major corporations such as Amazon and Dell have massively reduced their remote working offering and now increasingly require in-office presence again. A study by KPMG confirms this trend: 79% of the CEOs surveyed believe that remote work will barely be relevant anymore in the next three years.[1] However, many employees perceive this general trend towards returning to the office as unsatisfactory and even consider changing jobs. “The key question for companies is therefore how this dilemma can be resolved and how the office can become more attractive as a workplace again. Our survey, in which we asked employers and employees about their requirements and wishes for a future-ready office, provides answers. The result: good infrastructure and high-quality equipment as well as a pleasant office environment and flexible working conditions are a must-have today. But employers who want their employees to increasingly return to the office will also have to create offers for networking and community,” explains Katrin Gögele-Celeda, Country Head Austria & Adriatic at IMMOFINANZ.
Based on in-depth interviews and web-based online surveys among decision-makers, office employees and myhive users (employees working in IMMOFINANZ’s innovative myhive offices) in the greater Vienna area, the IMMOFINANZ study examines which requirements are placed on the “new work office”, and demonstrates what a new work office has to offer in order to be an attractive alternative to working from home.
Infrastructure and equipment: essential for all groups
All respondents attach central importance to high-quality office infrastructure. Factors such as accessibility by public transport (employers: 40%, employees: 68%), daylight at every workplace (employers: 33%, employees: 49%) and comfortable air conditioning (employers: 37%, employees: 44%) are considered particularly important by both employers and employees. These aspects are closely followed by features making day-to-day work more comfortable, for example, noise-absorbing furniture and room design (employers: 22%, employees: 24%) or generous office infrastructure and service equipment (employers: 26%, employees: 17%)
More flexibility wanted
Flexibility plays an equally important role in day-to-day work. Office employees and existing myhive users would like the option to switch flexibly between working remotely and working at the office. According to the study, approximately 76% of the office employees surveyed work from home at least 1 day per week; at 28%, working from home 2 days per week is the most common option. It is noteworthy that 33% of the office employees working from home 3 to 4 days per week would like to even increase the time working from home, while this only applies to 24% of myhive users, who tend to perceive remote work as a complementary offer to their work at the myhive offices. It is especially convenience and the possibility to concentrate better at work that speak in favour of working from home. In contrast, myhive users prefer working at the office as they find it easier to notice what is currently happening in the company and they can work better in a team.
But flexibility is demanded not only with regard of the place of work, but also within the context of day-to-day work. The workplace should be easily adaptable to different requirements. If, for example, a low-noise environment is needed, this should be easy to implement using technical solutions or quiet zones. Sufficient room should also be available for meetings and for socialising.
The key to success: networking and community
In addition to good access to public transport, services that the new work office should offer include, above all, a good range of restaurants, green spaces and networking opportunities, participation in events and being part of a community. These offers are significantly more important to myhive users (31%), who have access to various community services such as after-work events and networking opportunities, than to other office employees (22%). The myhive community values networking opportunities that foster exchange and collaboration and make the workplace a social meeting point beyond a mere place of work.
“Employers who increasingly want to bring their employees back to the office from remote working must take these aspects seriously and offer added value that makes returning to the office useful. On the one hand, this is a flexible, high-quality working environment, and on the other hand it is service and social contacts that you simply do not have in this form when working from home. If these factors are taken into account, there is nothing in the way of a successful return to office,” Katrin Gögele-Celeda summarises the success factors.
Three success factors for the new work office
According to the study, modern working worlds should meet three central requirements in order to enable a successful return to office:
- High-quality infrastructure and modern equipment that guarantee convenient accessibility and working environment and keep developing with digital transformation.
- Pleasant indoor climate and flexible working options which flexibly integrate both working from home and in-office work, while at the same time providing for a pleasant atmosphere in the office.
- Networking and community offers making the office a lively place of exchange and are perceived as significant added value, in particular by myhive users.
[1] KPMG 2024 US CEO Outlook, October 2024.
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