New wave of face-to-face work is expected to intensify by 2030

After the massive race for the hybrid system during the pandemic, companies are going through a new moment of readjustment of work formats. According to the global survey “Future of Work 2024” carried out by the consultancy JLL, 44% of the interviewed companies have already adopted the 100% face-to-face model, requiring employees to attend five days at the office. Two years ago, this index was 34%. The survey heard more than 2,300 people, representatives of institutions from various economic segments, in 25 countries where JLL is present.

The expectation is that, by 2030, more organizations will opt for the face-to-face model: only 40% of the companies declare that they intend to keep their teams in hybrid models.In this way, 43% assess that the office space must grow to be able to accommodate the entire workforce.

Fatima Bottameli, director of New Business in the Work Dynamics area of JLL, points out that this movement should lead to a redesign of the spaces. “If at the apex of hybrid work companies invested in areas of coexistence and decompression, now we will see a readjustment to receive the volume of employees that was in home office. Rest and even meeting rooms leave to enter the” work shared tables, he reveals.

The study also points out that, thinking about making going to offices more attractive, 39% of leaders think about salaries and benefits for those who attend the space regularly. “It will still be necessary to evaluate how people will adapt to the new rules or if there will be a talent leak’. It is worth noting that part of the employees, many of generation Z, have not experienced inflexible models. There are also those who have moved to the city and work totally remotely”, analyzes the executive.

“In contrast, other sectors of the economy should benefit from the return of face-to-face work. For example: shops, restaurants and services that are in the surroundings of the corporate areas”, he recalls.

The future is green

By 2030, companies face the challenge of growing more efficient, smarter and more responsible, the survey points out. Among business leaders, 44% say they want to reduce environmental impact and 43% intend to increase impacts on the communities of which they are part.

Among respondents: 43% stated that they will select only recyclable furniture and work equipment using circular economy materials; 45% will choose only buildings that are resilient to weather events (e.g., droughts, floods and hurricanes); 45% will accept to pay an extra rent amount to occupy only spaces with sustainable credentials and green seals.

“This shows that companies are increasingly aware of their impacts and more attentive to their sustainability commitments, increasing the clarity that green goals need to consider the occupancy plans of the company”, Bottameli points out.

The portfolio of certified buildings, for the most part, is located in the noblest regions of the cities. “This should reaffirm the main corporate axes as areas of desire of companies and, at the same time, encourage older buildings to invest in” retrofits, he concludes.