Leveraging Data & Design to Drive Confidence in Returning to the Workplace

A common discussion point in the interiors industry today is the future of the workplace. What will it look like, how will it function, and what is the timeline? While it remains difficult to develop definitive answers in our ever-changing environment, one key element to consider is the comfort level of employees to actually return to the office. Without a doubt, returning to a physical workspace—for those fortunate enough to enjoy the benefit of working from home—will remain a personal decision and one that must be aided by a hybrid team of HR and design members.

Last month, one study set out to measure the sentiments of these employees, with the hopes of unlocking not just what the office may look like, but more important, the key elements needed to make employees feel confident in their decision to return. A main takeaway from this report—NELSON Worldwide’s “Evolving Workforce Expectations” study—was that employees want to see physical change. Eighty-three percent of respondents said that physical safety measures being taken in the entire workplace was very or extremely important to them. But it goes without saying that what “safety measures” means to one person may look very different to another. So we sat down with Barbara Riekse, workplace practice leader at NELSON Worldwide, and Rex Miller, author, professor, and principle thought leader, to understand the emotion behind some of these sentiments, in an effort to help the entire interiors industry—from manufacturers to architects and designers—understand just what it will take to make our workforce feel comfortable in the future.

Read the full article here.