Forrester: Companies Must Reassess Policies And Arrangements When Planning “Return To Work”

Companies worldwide are thinking about what an ideal “return to work” scenario should look like for their employees. According to Forrester, a striking 75% of CEOs expect their office spaces to shrink. At the same time, it’s predicted that 70% of US and European companies will pivot to a hybrid work model post-pandemic. Yet every business currently stands at a crossroad: what is the best return to work strategy for their organization and how do they drive employee engagement while finding the right balance between in-person/remote work?  

After more than a year of working remotely, employees’ expectations of their employers have changed drastically. As a result, companies need to reassess their policies and working arrangements. Forrester analysts have been exploring which elements and strategies will help organizations recruit and retain the best talent and deliver greater employee experiences in the post-pandemic work environment. Their insights are outlined and explored across several reports, including:  

• The Future Of The Office
  • This report stems from Forrester interviews with 45 companies and 722 employees to understand the changing nature of the office, what it will look like in the future, and what leaders should plan for today. Further information can be found here for reference.
• A Human-Centered Frontline Workforce Strategy Allows All Stakeholders to Thrive
  • This report explains the pain points that employees and businesses currently face, illustrates some of the solutions that firms have attempted, and provides human-centered recommendations that apply across all sectors of the frontline workforce.
• COVID-19-Related Absenteeism And Your Workforce: A Systemic Risk Calculator
  • In 2022, COVID-19 is creating a little-discussed risk to the workforce in the form of absenteeism. In this report, Forrester offers a calculator that leaders can use to find your company’s specific costs of absenteeism as well as actions they can take to mitigate those costs. More information on this topic can accessed here (One, Two).
• Your Virtual Office In The Cloud
  • This research explores the current state of virtual worlds in preparation for future uses, which will become increasingly important to the future of work.

• Hot Desks Or Ice-Cold Employee Experiences 
  • This report discusses the topics of hot desks, hoteling, and activities-based work for company office design and re-design. 

• Don’t Miss Your Anywhere-Work Opportunity
  • This research provides Forrester’s Anywhere-Work Calculator which will help companies identify level of readiness with regards to anywhere-work and design a corresponding action plan.  

• Seize The Anywhere-Work Opportunity By Taking Calculated Risks 
  • This companion piece to Forrester’s “Don’t Miss Your Anywhere-Work Opportunity” encourages a redesign of how work gets done and what the office environment looks like.  

• Use Insights From Forrester’s EX Index To Guide Your Anywhere-Work Approach 
  • This research includes a video from Forrester Principal Analyst David Johnson to help executives guide their employees through the creation and management of an anywhere-work strategy.  

• Pick From Three Types Of Anywhere-Work Strategy 
  • This research includes a video from Forrester VP and Principal Analyst J.P. Gownder where he breaks down three types of firms (Office-preferred, Office+ hybrid, mostly anywhere) in the current workplace landscape.  

• Use The Lessons Of 2020 To Create Your Anywhere-Work Strategy 
  • This report describes how the anywhere-work strategy must start with people first, place second and gives a who, what, when, and how discussion for your team to use.  

• Operationalize Your Return-To-Work Strategy: The Technology You Need
  • This report emphasizes the importance of empathy around employee fears about returning to work in a pandemic and how to ease those fears by having the right technologies and support in place.   

• Operationalize Your Return-To-Work Strategy: Plan And Execute Effectively 
  • This research includes a Forrester framework to help companies worldwide plan, prepare, pivot, and adjust to local conditions. 

• Rethink Your Smart Office Strategy 
  • This report outlines five factors that drive employee engagement in the workplace: employee safety; space and resource efficiency; individual productivity; collaboration; and inspiration. 

If interested in accessing any of these reports and connecting further with a Forrester analyst about the future of work, please reach out to press@forrester.com.