HP Innovation Issue 20: Spring 2022 | Page 29

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WHY THE OFFICE

RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN that 61 % of employees want to work from home three days a week . But still , many are itching to see their colleagues in real life . Research has also shown that 87 % of workers feel that the office is critically important for building a sense of community and collaboration . “ People miss those informal chats with coworkers ,” says Tammy Allen , a professor of industrial-organizational psychology at the University of South Florida . “ They want to come to the office not just to get a break from the kids , but to have those human connections .” As Molly Fischer wrote in New York magazine , “ I miss ducking into empty conference rooms to debrief . I miss being told to shut the door .”

But not everyone is going to get what they want all the time . An employee who has a large house , a home office , and doesn ’ t lament their hour-and-a-half commute might feel differently about what they need from the office than someone who is working from their bed or living room sofa in a small space or has multiple roommates or children . A Gen Z employee who started their job remotely might not want to go into the office ever because they enjoy the flexibility , while a midcareer employee might be missing the ability to get work done in a focused environment free of leaf blowers and Amazon deliveries , as well as their office culture and work friends . “ We make a lot of assumptions about what ‘ home ’ is for people ,” says Lisa Finkelstein , a professor of social and industrial organizational psychology at Northern Illinois University , “ but there are so many variables .”

The key is to optimize the office so it nurtures , engages , and is fluid and flexible . Successful hybrid offices need to create a culture where remote and in-person workers don ’ t operate within a two-tier system , where those who get in-person time are firstclass citizens while those working from home are considered to be literally “ phoning it in .”

To get to that sweet spot of productivity and a sense of belonging , leaders need to arrange their hybrid workforce so that the office doesn ’ t mimic the workfrom-home experience . “ We want people to feel like a commute is worthwhile , that it provides enjoyable connections with coworkers ,” Allen says .

Thought has to go into why leaders are bringing people into the office , what they hope will happen during those in-person days , and what the markers of success should be . Employees are increasingly saying that the office is the preferred space for all sorts of work and tasks , including collaboration and deep thinking . Before teams come in , there should be a plan for what activities they are doing together .

“ You can ’ t just say , hey , this came up , let ’ s go to the conference room ,” says Robin S . Rosenberg , CEO and founder of Live in Their World , a program to upskill employees to address issues of bias , respect , and other soft skills . “ People should come to the office to be acculturated , particularly new hires ; for team deepening ; for collaborative work ; or just to have chance encounters .”

Loretta Li-Sevilla , Head of Future of Work , Collaboration , and Business Incubation at HP , explains that the office ’ s key role will be as a place that builds a sense of community and drives collaboration .

That means creating spaces for quiet , individual work and others for collaboration ; making sure that hot desks are bookable and confirmed by IT to be in optimal working order ; offering activities like cooking classes or yoga that serve to foster fellowship ; and even possibly providing childcare on-site or expanding commuter credits .

“ You want to give people a reason to come into the office ,” Li-Sevilla says .

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